pros and cons

plural noun

1. the favorable and the unfavorable factors or reasons; advantages and disadvantages.

pros and cons

plural noun

1. the various arguments in favour of and against a motion, course of action, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of pros and cons¹

C16: from Latin prō for + con, from contrā against

Idioms and Phrases

Arguments or considerations for and against something, as in We'd best weigh all the pros and cons before we decide to add a new wing to the library. This idiom is taken from the Latin pro for “for” and con for “against.” [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

With their help, he makes a quite unflattering list of Rachel’s pros and cons, which, of course, Rachel discovers.

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Coach McCullum appeared to leave the door open when he said: "We've just got to work out what the pros and cons are. We're not married to any position at the moment, but we'll work it out in a couple of days."

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Explain to them the pros and cons that you considered.

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More than ever, it’s worth running the numbers on a Roth conversion with a planning expert and weighing the pros and cons, according to Carroll: “The benefits have to outweigh the cost.”

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The pros and cons of life in our rural town flashed before me: my hard-won friends, the long, frigid winters, the affordability and the reliable rhythms of a seasonal life.

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