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progressive

 - 6 dictionary results

pro⋅gres⋅sive

[pruh-gres-iv]
–adjective
1. favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, esp. in political matters: a progressive mayor.
2. making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc.: a progressive community.
3. characterized by such progress, or by continuous improvement.
4. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to any of the Progressive parties in politics.
5. going forward or onward; passing successively from one member of a series to the next; proceeding step by step.
6. noting or pertaining to a form of taxation in which the rate increases with certain increases in taxable income.
7. of or pertaining to progressive education: progressive schools.
8. Grammar. noting a verb aspect or other verb category that indicates action or state going on at a temporal point of reference.
9. Medicine/Medical. continuously increasing in extent or severity, as a disease.
–noun
10. a person who is progressive or who favors progress or reform, esp. in political matters.
11. (initial capital letter) a member of a Progressive party.
12. Grammar.
a. the progressive aspect.
b. a verb form or construction in the progressive, as are thinking in They are thinking about it.

Origin:
1600–10; progress + -ive


pro⋅gres⋅sive⋅ly, adverb
pro⋅gres⋅sive⋅ness, pro⋅gres⋅siv⋅i⋅ty [proh-gre-siv-i-tee] , noun


1, 9. liberal. 5. successive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To progressive
pro·gres·sive   (prə-grěs'ĭv)   
adj.  
  1. Moving forward; advancing.

  2. Proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments: progressive change.

  3. Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods: a progressive politician; progressive business leadership.

  4. Progressive Of or relating to a Progressive Party: the Progressive platform of 1924.

  5. Of or relating to progressive education: a progressive school.

  6. Increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases: a progressive income tax.

  7. Pathology Tending to become more severe or wider in scope: progressive paralysis.

  8. Grammar Designating a verb form that expresses an action or condition in progress.

n.  
  1. A person who actively favors or strives for progress toward better conditions, as in society or government.

  2. Progressive A member or supporter of a Progressive Party.

  3. Grammar A progressive verb form.

pro·gres'sive·ly adv., pro·gres'sive·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

progressive  (adj.)
1607, "characterized by advancement" (in action, character, etc.), from progress (q.v.). Of taxation, from 1889; of jazz, from 1947. Meaning "characterized by striving for change and innovation, avant-garde, liberal" is from 1908; the noun in this sense is first attested 1865.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: pro·gres·sive
Function: adjective
: increasing in rate as the base increases progressive tax>
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pro·gres·sive
Pronunciation: pr&-'gres-iv
Function: adjective
: increasing in extent or severity progressivedisease> progressive inflammatory involvement of the articulations —W. A. D. Anderson> —pro·gres·sive·ly adverb
Medical Dictionary

progressive pro·gres·sive (prə-grěs'ĭv)
adj.

  1. Moving forward; advancing.

  2. Proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments, as of a course of treatment.

  3. Tending to become more severe or wider in scope, as of a disease or paralysis.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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