Join free

progressive

English · Français · Deutsch · Italiano · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

progressive¹

  • /pɹəˈɡɹɛsɪv/ UK
  • /pɹəˈɡɹɛsɪv/ Canada, US
  • /pɹoʊ-/ Canada, US
  • /pɹəˈɡɹesɪv/ Australia
  • /pɹəˈɡɹesəv/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɛsɪv

Where it comes from

From the Middle French progressif, from the Latin prōgressīvus, from prōgredior (perfect participial stem: prōgress-) + -īvus. Displaced native Old English forþgenġe. By surface analysis, progress + -ive.

adjective more progressive · most progressive · prog. · prog

  1. Favouring or promoting progress; advanced.
  2. Gradually advancing in extent; increasing.
  3. Promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods. a progressive politician
  4. Liberal. Conservative movements were far more progressive than the standard religious narrative of the decade alleges and the notoriously progressive ethos of the era was far more conservative than our collective memory has recognized.
  5. Of or relating to progressive education. a progressive school
  6. of an income tax or other tax Increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases.
  7. Advancing in severity. progressive paralysis
  8. Continuous.

Opposite: regressive, non-progressive, conservative, reactionary

noun progressives · prog. · prog

  1. One with liberal or progressive political beliefs. The progressives want to legalise gay marriage.

noun progressives · prog. · prog

  1. A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government.
  2. A progressive verb; a verb used in the progressive tense and (in English) generally conjugated to end in -ing.

noun progressives · prog. · prog

  1. abbreviation, clipping Clipping of progressive dinner

Progressive²

Rhymes with -ɛsɪv

adjective more Progressive · most Progressive

  1. Belonging to or supporting a Progressive Party.
  2. Of or pertaining to such a party, its policies, or its membership.

noun Progressives

  1. A member or supporter of a Progressive Party.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: reformist, liberal, graduated, modern, advanced, innovative, progressive tense, active, continuous tense, imperfect tense, forward-looking, incremental, increasing, proportional, advancing, forward

adjective

Opposite: regressive, non-progressive, conservative, reactionary

Translations

Every language

noun favouring or promoting progress; advanced

Españolprogresista
हिन्दीप्रगतिशील pragtiśīl
Portuguêsprogressista
Deutschfortschrittlich, progressiv
Românăprogresist, avansat, înaintat
Русскийпередово́й peredovój, прогресси́вный progressívnyj

noun gradually advancing in extent; increasing

Españolprogresivo
Portuguêsprogressivo, progressiva
Françaisprogressif
Deutschprogressiv
Italianoprogressivo
Ελληνικάπροοδευτικός proodeftikós
Românăprogresiv
Русскийпостепе́нный postepénnyj, после́довательный poslédovatelʹnyj, поступа́тельный postupátelʹnyj, прогресси́рующий progressírujuščij

noun promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods

हिन्दीप्रगतिशील pragtiśīl
Deutschprogressiv
Ελληνικάπροοδευτικός proodeftikós
Românăprogresist, de progres
Русскийпередово́й peredovój, прогресси́вный progressívnyj
العربيةتَقَدُّمِيّ taqaddumiyy

noun politically liberal

हिन्दीउदारवादी udārvādī
Deutschprogressiv
Tiếng Việttiến bộ chủ nghĩa, cấp tiến chủ nghĩa
العربيةتَقَدُّمِيّ taqaddumiyy

noun increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases

中文累進的 /累进的 lěijìn de
Deutschprogressiv
Românăprogresiv
Русскийпрогресси́вный progressívnyj

noun advancing in severity

Deutschprogressiv
Ελληνικάπροϊών proïón
Românăprogresiv
Русскийпрогрессирующий progressirujuščij
العربيةمُتَرَقٍّ mutaraqqin

noun A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government

Españolprogresista
हिन्दीप्रगतिशील pragtiśīl
Portuguêsprogressista
Italianoprogressista
Русскийпрогресси́вный челове́к progressívnyj čelovék, прогресси́вный де́ятель progressívnyj déjatelʹ, сторонник прогресса storonnik progressa, член прогрессивной партии člen progressivnoj partii

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"progressive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/progressive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

progressive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/progressive

Chicago

"progressive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/progressive.

BibTeX
@misc{progressive_2026,
  title = {progressive},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/progressive},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}