proactive

[ proh-ak-tiv ]
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adjective
  1. serving to prepare for, intervene in, or control an expected occurrence or situation, especially a negative or challenging one; anticipatory: The new guidelines will help industry employers develop proactive measures to keep their workplaces safe.

Origin of proactive

1
First recorded in 1930–35; pro-1 + active

Other words from proactive

  • pro·ac·tive, noun
  • pro·ac·tiv·i·ty [proh-ak-tiv-i-tee], /ˌproʊ ækˈtɪv ɪ ti/, pro·ac·tive·ness, noun
  • pro·ac·tive·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with proactive

Words Nearby proactive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use proactive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for proactive

proactive

/ (prəʊˈæktɪv) /


adjective
  1. tending to initiate change rather than reacting to events

  2. psychol of or denoting a mental process that affects a subsequent process

Origin of proactive

1
C20: from pro- ² + (re) active

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012