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Synonyms

progressivism

American  
[pruh-gres-uh-viz-uhm] / prəˈgrɛs əˌvɪz əm /

noun

  1. the principles and practices of progressives.

  2. (initial capital letter) the doctrines and beliefs of the Progressive party.

  3. progressive education.


Other Word Forms

  • progressivist noun

Etymology

Origin of progressivism

First recorded in 1890–95; progressive + -ism

Vocabulary lists containing progressivism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The proponents of this new set of first principles, most prominently among them the 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, called it progressivism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The takeaway is not that Gen Z–ers are uniformly progressive, but that their progressivism is uneven.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026

“Companion” is a rough draft of a movie about objectification, a lazy first pass that hopes its audience will mistake the insinuation of progressivism for the actual philosophy.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2025

“San Franciscans are quite progressive. But there is a strain among some people — I think it’s a minority, but some people — where they equate progressivism to having no change,” Wiener said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2024

This might be one reason for his antagonism toward the politicians of the old regime, such as Penrose, who have barred his way in that direction, and his fitful devotion to progressivism championed by others.

From The Mirrors of Washington by Kirby, John