pro

1 of 7

noun

ˈprō 

plural pros

1

: an argument or evidence in affirmation

an appraisal of the pros and cons

2

: the affirmative side or one holding it

pro

2 of 7

adverb

: on the affirmative side : in affirmation

much has been written pro and con

pro

3 of 7

preposition

: in favor of : for

pro

4 of 7

noun or adjective

: professional

PRO

5 of 7

abbreviation

public relations officer

pro-

6 of 7

prefix (1)

1

a

: earlier than : prior to : before

prothalamion

b

: rudimentary : prot-

pronucleus

c

: precursory

proinsulin

2

a

: located in front of or at the front of : anterior to

procephalic

b

: front : anterior

prothorax

3

: projecting

prognathous

pro-

7 of 7

prefix (2)

1

: taking the place of : substituting for

procathedral

procaine

2

: favoring : supporting : championing

pro-American

Examples of pro in a Sentence

Noun

He is a pro when it comes to household repairs.

She handled that tricky situation like an old pro.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For deep sanitation, the cleaning pro recommends a hot, extended cycle. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2026

Pacheco, when healthy, can do much of the dirty work for this offense as a physical runner and short-yardage option who can be a plus in pass pro. — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Adverb

According to legal documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly, the Dancing With the Stars pro filed an emergency child custody order claiming Samodanova has kept their daughters — Zlata, 8, and Olivia, 15— in Hong Kong since 2023. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

Jake Johnson stars as Dusty Boyd, an over-the-hill tennis pro slumming it as a children’s tennis teacher at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) country club, where pickleball is squeezing out tennis. — David Faris, TheWeek, 6 July 2026

Preposition

That matched the second-highest finish by a Sun Devil, the other coming from current PGA pro Jon Rahm in 2016. — Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 27 May 2021

Noun or adjective

That’s an area right now where elite college athletes have an advantage over mid-tier pros. — Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Stafford is physically sound, McVay said, but the 18th-year pro will only practice every second and fourth day of each four-day block in training camp. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin, preposition, for — more at for

Adverb

pro-

Preposition

Latin

Prefix (1)

New Latin, from Latin, from Greek, before, forward, forth, for, from pro — more at for

Prefix (2)

Latin pro in front of, before, for, forward — more at for

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

1837, in the meaning defined above

Noun Or Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pro

• all-pro
• pro-am
• pro and con
• pro bono
• pro-choice
• pro-family
• pro forma
• pro forma invoice
• pro-inflammatory
• pro-life
• pro rata
• pro se
• pro shop
• pro-social
• pro tem
• pro tempore
• pro-verb
• quid pro quo
• turn pro

Rhymes for pro

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

pro

1 of 5 noun

ˈprō 

plural pros

ˈprōz

: an argument or evidence in favor of something

discuss the pros and cons

pro

2 of 5 adverb

: in favor of something

pro

3 of 5 noun or adjective

: professional

pro-

4 of 5 prefix

: located in front of or at the front of

prothorax

pro-

5 of 5 prefix

1

: taking the place of : substituting for

pronoun

2

: favoring : supporting

pro-American

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pro "an argument in favor of something," from Latin pro (preposition) "in favor of, for"

Noun or adjective

a shortened form of professional

Prefix

derived from Greek pro "before, forward"

Prefix

derived from Latin pro "in front of, for"

Medical Definition

Pro

1 of 2 abbreviation

proline; prolyl

PRO

2 of 2 abbreviation

peer review organization