See also: Progressive

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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progressive (comparative more progressive, superlative most progressive)

  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
    progressive business leadership
  4. (politics) Liberal.
    • 2016, Richard Lints, Progressive and Conservative Religious Ideologies, page i:
      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.
    • 2025 March 19, Alison Main, “Michigan Democrat says she ‘can’t just be an activist’ and calls on party to act”, in CNN[1]:
      Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin on Wednesday called for “action, not words” from Democrats, criticizing the approach of some in the progressive wing of the party.
  5. (education) 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. (grammar) Continuous.

Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Noun

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progressive (plural progressives)

  1. One with liberal or progressive political beliefs.
    The progressives want to legalise gay marriage.
    • 2025 January 19, John Blake, “What MLK knew that today’s progressives keep forgetting”, in CNN[2]:
      Not long ago, few progressives imagined this day would come. They assumed the MAGA movement had been discredited by the shocking images that emerged from the January 6 insurrection, and that Trump was politically weakened by the barrage of criminal charges against him.

Translations

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Noun

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progressive (plural progressives)

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

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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progressive (plural progressives)

  1. Clipping of progressive dinner.

Further reading

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  • "progressive" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 243.

French

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /pʁɔ.ɡʁɛ.siv/ ~ /pʁɔ.ɡʁe.siv/
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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progressive

  1. feminine singular of progressif

German

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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progressive

  1. inflection of progressiv:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Interlingua

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Adjective

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progressive (comparative plus progressive, superlative le plus progressive)

  1. progressive, gradually increasing, progressing

Italian

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Adjective

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progressive

  1. feminine plural of progressivo

Latin

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Adjective

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prōgressīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of prōgressīvus

Swedish

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Adjective

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progressive

  1. definite natural masculine singular of progressiv