pro

noun \ ˈprō \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

plural pros

1 : an argument or evidence in affirmation

an appraisal of the pros and cons

2 : the affirmative side or one holding it

Examples of pro in a Sentence

He is a pro when it comes to household repairs.
She handled that tricky situation like an old pro.

Recent Examples of pro from the Web

Because Kroger is officially a ward of the state, and Camelback Fiduciary was appointed by the court, Asimou said the court needed to weigh the pros and the cons.

— robert anglen, azcentral, "Credit union watches elderly woman's account drain, then taps it to pay off drug-using son's bogus charges," 2 Apr. 2018
There are pros and cons to that, and there are significant cons to that.

— WSJ, "Transcript: WSJ Interview With Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker," 29 Mar. 2018
Why not go with the pros and experience the park with those who know it best: the park rangers.

— susan b. barnes, USA TODAY, "Petrified Forest National Park: 10 tips for your visit," 28 Mar. 2018
The report weighs the pros and cons of loosening the blanket restrictions.

— National Geographic, "Russians Were Once Banned From a Third of the U.S.," 26 Mar. 2018
The most common drugs used to treat addiction are methadone, Suboxone and Vivitrol, each with their own pros and cons.

— kristina davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "County to embrace collaborative, medical approach to treat drug addiction in new $179 million program," 26 Mar. 2018
Some are pros, some are paddling just for the heck of it.

— alex schechter, Condé Nast Traveler, "Kayaking the 'River of Life' in Ireland," 16 Mar. 2018
The supervisors hired a consultant to advise them on the pros and cons of establishing an independent medical examiner’s office, but the report won’t be ready until April at earliest.

— anita chabria, sacbee, "Will a harassment complaint against a sheriff change how California treats its dead? | The Sacramento Bee," 3 Mar. 2018
Below are the pros and cons to THR's top six picks.

— jackie strause, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Bachelorette': Who Will Be ABC's Next Star?," 2 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pro.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pro

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

pro

adverb

: on the affirmative side : in affirmation

much has been written pro and con

See pro defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of pro from the Web

Never apologize for a good pun Is your surfer dog ready to go pro?

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "Surf’s Pup! It’s Almost Time for the Surf City Surf Dog Competition," 8 Sep. 2017
Some data suggest that, despite the the successive victories of the independence referendum and the parliamentary independence vote, pro-secession sentiments actually slightly declined in the months leading up to the referendum.

— alia wong, The Atlantic, "Is Catalonia Using Schools as a Political Weapon?," 3 Nov. 2017
In 1921, pro-basketball player Chuck Taylor paid a mere two cents to the Converse Rubber Shoe Company to change up the original high-top All Stars.

— amanda svachula, The Cut, "See How the Coolest Sneakers Get Made," 22 Oct. 2017
Policymakers in cities and states across the country have an opportunity to enact policies that are both pro-innovation and pro-worker.

— monica stonier, Fortune, "This State Wants to Offer Universal Benefits to Gig Workers," 13 Oct. 2017
The killings took place in the midst of a national protest movement that pitted pro-democracy activists, many of them students, against Maoist authorities.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Square Museum Reopens," 3 May 2017
Catalan pro-independence forces and central government authorities are building toward another climax on Friday when the Senate in Madrid is scheduled to wrest control from the rebellious regional government based in Barcelona.

— rodrigo orihuela, Bloomberg.com, "What the Catalan Crisis May Bring: Three Key Scenarios Explained," 25 Oct. 2017
Researchers at Georgia Tech have pointed out that pro-eating disorder communities share content on Reddit and YouTube more freely than on Instagram or Facebook, for example.

— lily herman, Allure, "Pro-Eating Disorder Content Continues to Spread Online, Researchers Say," 17 Oct. 2017
Of more than five million eligible Catalan voters, only 42 percent voted on Sunday, with 90 percent of the votes cast being pro-independence, according to Catalan officials.

— alan taylor, The Atlantic, "Photos From Catalonia's Independence Vote," 2 Oct. 2017

Origin and Etymology of pro

pro-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

pro

preposition

: in favor of : for

Origin and Etymology of pro

Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1817

See Words from the same year

pro

noun or adjective

: professional

See pro defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of pro from the Web

Six of the 18 prospects played in the NFL and five, astoundingly, are still active pros.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Best recruiting class in TCU history? This picture says it all | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 3 Apr. 2018
Tammy Reynolds is basically a red carpet pro after accompanying her son to a number of events throughout his acting career.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Ryan Reynolds Brought His Mom to the Red Carpet and Our Hearts Just Exploded," 3 Apr. 2018
Manafort has been charged with conspiracy, money laundering, tax evasion and bank fraud related to a lucrative and undisclosed lobbying operation for the Ukraine’s former pro-Kremlin government.

— chris megerian, latimes.com, "Prosecutors cite former Trump aide's alleged election conspiracy with Russia," 3 Apr. 2018
But, as all good mermaids do, Poppy took a trip down to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Spring Hill, Florida to get some tips from the pros.

— Southern Living, "The Star Of The Little Mermaid Actually Swam With Mermaids In Florida," 2 Apr. 2018
Some pros fill the extra space with newspaper or paper towels to avoid the extra weight of ice.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "The Right Way to Pack a Cooler," 2 Apr. 2018
Alterna-seders provide context to welcome the uninitiated and allow Passover pros to make this annual tradition their own.

— steve heisler, Chicago Reader, "Humor / Other Stuff / Religion How are these seders different from all other seders?," 30 Mar. 2018
The pros of the Eleven’s stadium switch far outweigh the cons.

— kevin johnston, Indianapolis Star, "Lucas Oil Stadium not perfect home for Indy Eleven, but a big upgrade," 30 Mar. 2018
Economic growth is happening because of pro-growth -- in part because of the pro-growth policies of the tax code.

— Fox News, "Larry Kudlow on rising trade tensions with China," 8 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of pro

1856

PRO

abbreviation

public relations officer

pro-

prefix

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

Origin and Etymology of pro-

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

pro-

prefix

1 : taking the place of : substituting for

procathedral

procaine

2 : favoring : supporting : championing

pro-American

Origin and Etymology of pro-

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

PRO Defined for English Language Learners

pro

adverb

: in favor of something

pro

adjective

: paid to participate in a sport or activity
: done by people who are paid to play or compete in a sport or activity

PRO Defined for Kids

pro

noun \ ˈprō \

plural pros

: an argument or evidence in favor of something

We weighed the pros and cons of wind power.

pro

adverb

: in favor of something

We heard arguments pro and con.

pro

noun or adjective

: professional

pro athletes

He sank the putt like a pro.

pro-

prefix

: approving : in favor of

Medical Dictionary

Pro

abbreviation

proline; prolyl

PRO

abbreviation

peer review organization

Learn More about pro

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Examples of pro in a Sentence

Recent Examples of pro from the Web

Origin and Etymology of pro

pro

Recent Examples of pro from the Web

Origin and Etymology of pro

pro

Origin and Etymology of pro

pro

Recent Examples of pro from the Web

First Known Use of pro

PRO

pro-

Origin and Etymology of pro-

pro-

Origin and Etymology of pro-

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PRO Defined for English Language Learners

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PRO Defined for Kids

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Medical Dictionary

Pro

PRO

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