Meanings
progressive1
adjectiveprogressive (comparative more progressive, superlative most progressive)
comparative more progressive · superlative most progressive · alternative abbreviation prog. · alternative clipping prog
- Gradually advancing in extent; increasing.
- Promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods.
a progressive politician
1 more example
progressive business leadership
- governmentLiberal.
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.
2025 March 19, Alison Main, “Michigan Democrat says she ‘can’t just be an activist’ and calls on party to act”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 20251 more example
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.
2016, Richard Lints, Progressive and Conservative Religious Ideologies, page i - Increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases.
- Advancing in severity.
progressive paralysis
- grammarContinuous.
nounprogressive (plural progressives)
plural progressives · alternative abbreviation prog. · alternative clipping prog
- One with liberal or progressive political beliefs.
The progressives want to legalise gay marriage.
1 more example
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.
2025 January 19, John Blake, “What MLK knew that today’s progressives keep forgetting”, in CNN, archived from the original on 21 Jan 2025
nounprogressive (plural progressives)
plural progressives · alternative abbreviation prog. · alternative clipping prog
- A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government.
- grammarA progressive verb; a verb used in the progressive tense and (in English) generally conjugated to end in -ing.
nounprogressive (plural progressives)
plural progressives · alternative abbreviation prog. · alternative clipping prog
- abbreviationclippingClipping of progressive dinner
Progressive2
adjectiveProgressive (comparative more Progressive, superlative most Progressive)
comparative more Progressive · superlative most Progressive
- Belonging to or supporting a Progressive Party.
- Of or pertaining to such a party, its policies, or its membership.
nounProgressive (plural Progressives)
plural Progressives
- A member or supporter of a Progressive Party.
Synonyms & antonyms
antonym(s) of “advancing in severity”
Opposite
adjectivefavoring or promoting progress
Similar
Opposite
adjectivefavoring or promoting reform (often by government action)
adjective(of taxes) adjusted so that the rate increases as the amount of income increases
Similar
Opposite
adjectivegradually advancing in extent
Similar
adjective(of a card game or a dance) involving a series of sections for which the participants successively change place or relative position
Similar
adjectiveadvancing in severity
Similar
nouna tense of verbs used in describing action that is on-going
Broader
nouna person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinprōgressīvus
- Middle Frenchprogressif
- Englishprogressive
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.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَقَدُّمِيّ, تَقَدُّمِيّ
- تَقَدُّمِيّ (taqaddumiyy)promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- تَقَدُّمِيّ (taqaddumiyy)politically liberal
- مُتَرَقٍّ (mutaraqqin)advancing in severity
Bulgarian прогресивен, напредващ
- прогресивен (progresiven)favouring or promoting progress; advanced
- напредващ (napredvašt)gradually advancing in extent; increasing
- прогресивен (progresiven)increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
Catalan progressista, progressiu
- progressistafavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progressiugradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progressistapromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- progressiuincreasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
- progressiuadvancing in severity
- progressistaA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Chinese Mandarin 累進的 /累进的
- 累進的 /累进的 (lěijìn de)increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
Czech pokrokový
- pokrokovýfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
Dutch progressief, vooruitstrevend
- progressieffavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- vooruitstrevendpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- progressiefpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
Esperanto antaŭenema
- antaŭenemapromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
Finnish edistyksellinen, edistysmielinen
- edistyksellinenfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- edistysmielinenfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- edistynytfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- lisääntyvägradually advancing in extent; increasing
- enenevägradually advancing in extent; increasing
- edistyksellinenpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- edistysmielinenpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- edistyksellinenpolitically liberal
- progressiivinenof or relating to progressive education
- progressiivinenincreasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
- eteneväadvancing in severity
- pahenevaadvancing in severity
French progressif
- progressifgradually advancing in extent; increasing
German fortschrittlich, progressiv
- fortschrittlichfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progressivfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progressivgradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progressivpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- progressivpolitically liberal
- progressivincreasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
- progressivadvancing in severity
Greek προοδευτικός, προοδευτικός
- προοδευτικός (proodeftikós)gradually advancing in extent; increasing
- προοδευτικός (proodeftikós)promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- προϊών (proïón)advancing in severity
Hindi प्रगतिशील, प्रगतिशील
- प्रगतिशील (pragtiśīl)favouring or promoting progress; advanced
- प्रगतिशील (pragtiśīl)promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- उदारवादी (udārvādī)politically liberal
- प्रगतिशील (pragtiśīl)A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Icelandic framfarasinni
- framfarasinniA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Irish forásaí
- forásaíA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Italian progressivo, progressista
- progressivogradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progressistaA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Norwegian Bokmål progredierende
- progredierendeadvancing in severity
Polish progresywny, postępowy
- progresywnyfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- postępowygradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progresywnypromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- progresywnyincreasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
- postępowiecA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
- progresywistaA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Portuguese progressista, progressivo
- progressistafavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progressivogradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progressivagradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progressistaA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Romanian progresist, avansat
- progresistfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- avansatfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- înaintatfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progresivgradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progresistpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- de progrespromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- progresivincreasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
- progresivadvancing in severity
Russian передово́й, прогресси́вный
- передово́й (peredovój)favouring or promoting progress; advanced
- прогресси́вный (progressívnyj)favouring or promoting progress; advanced
- постепе́нный (postepénnyj)gradually advancing in extent; increasing
- после́довательный (poslédovatelʹnyj)gradually advancing in extent; increasing
- поступа́тельный (postupátelʹnyj)gradually advancing in extent; increasing
- прогресси́рующий (progressírujuščij)gradually advancing in extent; increasing
- передово́й (peredovój)promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- прогресси́вный (progressívnyj)promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- прогресси́вный (progressívnyj)increasing in rate as the taxable amount increases
- прогрессирующий (progressirujuščij)advancing in severity
- прогресси́вный челове́к (progressívnyj čelovék)A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
- прогресси́вный де́ятель (progressívnyj déjatelʹ)A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
- сторонник прогресса (storonnik progressa)A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
- член прогрессивной партии (člen progressivnoj partii)A person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Scottish Gaelic adhartach, ceumnach
- adhartachfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- ceumnachgradually advancing in extent; increasing
- adhartachpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- adhartachof or relating to progressive education
- adhartachadvancing in severity
Spanish progresista, progresivo
- progresistafavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progresivogradually advancing in extent; increasing
- progresistaA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Swedish progressiv, banbrytande
- progressivfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- banbrytandefavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- progressivpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
Tagalog maunlad, masulong
- maunladfavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- masulonggradually advancing in extent; increasing
- masulongpromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
Tamil முற்போக்கு, முற்போக்கு
- முற்போக்கு (muṟpōkku)favouring or promoting progress; advanced
- முற்போக்கு (muṟpōkku)promoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
Turkish ilerici, ilerici
- ilericifavouring or promoting progress; advanced
- ilericipromoting or favoring progress towards improved conditions or new policies, ideas or methods
- ilerleyenadvancing in severity
- progresifadvancing in severity
Vietnamese tiến bộ chủ nghĩa, cấp tiến chủ nghĩa
- tiến bộ chủ nghĩapolitically liberal
- cấp tiến chủ nghĩapolitically liberal
Welsh blaengarwr
- blaengarwrA person who actively favors or strives for progress towards improved conditions, as in society or government
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with progressive
impressiveaggressiveexcessivesuccessiveexpressiveobsessivedepressiveoppressiverepressivecompressiverecessiveimmunosuppressiveregressivepossessivesuppressiveautoregressiveunimpressiveantidepressivetransgressiveretrogressivepressiveprocessivedigressiveabessive
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
progressive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/progressive
MLA
“progressive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/progressive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “progressive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/progressive.
Source: progressive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.