What does "progressive" mean?
One with liberal or progressive political beliefs.
Progressive
/pɹəˈɡɹɛsɪv/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Very common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One with liberal or progressive political beliefs.
- Grammar: progressive is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: reformist, a la mode, activist, advanced.
- Useful contrasts: conservative, non-progressive, reactionary.
- Usage evidence: Especially over the last 20 years, the purported link between progressive welfare policies and economic failure in the Northern European countries seems to point to the difficulty of sustaining both full social welfare and international competitivity.
How to use "progressive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "progressive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "progressive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "progressive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "progressive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "progressive" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "reformist" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "progressive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One with liberal or progressive political beliefs.
"The progressives want to legalise gay marriage."
- 2 A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government.
- 3 Clipping of progressive dinner abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 4 A member or supporter of a Progressive Party.
- 5 a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A progressive verb; a verb used in the progressive tense and (in English) generally conjugated to end in -ing.
- 7 a tense of verbs used in describing action that is on-going wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Favouring or promoting progress; advanced.
- 2 Belonging to or supporting a Progressive Party.
- 3 Gradually advancing in extent; increasing.
- 4 Of or pertaining to such a party, its policies, or its membership.
- 5 Promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods.
"a progressive politician"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 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."
- 7 Of or relating to progressive education.
"a progressive school"
- 8 Increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases.
- 9 Advancing in severity.
"progressive paralysis"
- 10 Continuous.
Adjective
- 1 advancing in severity wordnet
- 2 favoring or promoting reform (often by government action) wordnet
- 3 (of a card game or a dance) involving a series of sections for which the participants successively change place or relative position wordnet
- 4 favoring or promoting progress wordnet
- 5 (of taxes) adjusted so that the rate increases as the amount of income increases wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 gradually advancing in extent wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Especially over the last 20 years, the purported link between progressive welfare policies and economic failure in the Northern European countries seems to point to the difficulty of sustaining both full social welfare and international competitivity."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "progressive"?
Common synonyms include: reformist, a la mode, activist, advanced, advanced civilization, advanced course label.
How do you use "progressive" in a sentence?
Especially over the last 20 years, the purported link between progressive welfare policies and economic failure in the Northern European countries seems to point to the difficulty of sustaining both full social welfare and international competitivity.
How do you pronounce "progressive"?
Pronounced /pɹəˈɡɹɛsɪv/.
Etymology
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.