pros and cons

American  

plural noun

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

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pros and cons British  

plural noun

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

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pros and cons Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of pros and cons

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

Example Sentences

In mostly online communities, like-minded individuals discuss the latest research papers, weigh the pros and cons of therapies, and share their findings from the interventions they choose.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

In this Proton VPN review, we examine Proton’s pros and cons, as well as its key advantages over competitors.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

AI fed me oodles of information on the pros and cons.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

What are the pros and cons of having private companies at the helm of lunar missions?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

So over our gooseberry pie we looked at the pros and cons of one, two, three, and four chains, quickly dismissing one- chain helices as incompatible with the evidence in our hands.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson