progress

1 of 2

noun

prog·​ress ˈprä-grəs 

-ˌgres

US also and British usually ˈprō-ˌgres

1

a(1)

: a royal journey marked by pomp and pageant

(2)

: a state procession

b

: a tour or circuit made by an official (such as a judge)

c

: an expedition, journey, or march through a region

2

: a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal) : advance

3

: gradual betterment

especially : the progressive development of humankind

see also in progress

progress

2 of 2

verb

pro·​gress prə-ˈgres 

progressed; progressing; progresses

intransitive verb

1

: to move forward : proceed

2

: to develop to a higher, better, or more advanced stage

Synonyms of progress

Noun

• process
• progression
• advance
• advancement
• procession

Verb

• grow
• develop

Examples of progress in a Sentence

Noun

the rapid progress of the ship

He made slow progress down the steep cliff.

The project showed slow but steady progress.

Verb

The project has been progressing slowly.

The work is progressing and should be completed soon.

The caravan progressed slowly across the desert.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Yet surveys show that since the 1990s, there’s been remarkably little progress in getting men to take on more household work and the mental load that goes along with it. —Jelena Kecmanovic, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026

The opening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt raised hope of further progress, but fewer than 50 people were allowed to cross on Monday. —Sam Metz, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026

Verb

As the season progressed, Goldschmidt lost playing time to Ben Rice, who emerged as one of the best hitters in MLB. —Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026

Beyond the fire, Bass has pointed to progress on homelessness as a central pillar of her reelection case, highlighting the Inside Safe initiative and declines in street homelessness in some parts of the city. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French progrés, from Latin progressus advance, from progredi to go forth, from pro- forward + gradi to go — more at pro-, grade entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing progress

• make progress
• progress report
• work in progress

Rhymes for progress

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess

Kids Definition

progress

1 of 2 noun

prog·​ress ˈpräg-rəs 

-ˌres

chiefly British ˈprō-ˌgres

1

: a moving toward a goal

the progress of a ship

2

: gradual improvement or advancement

the progress of science

progress

2 of 2 verb

pro·​gress prə-ˈgres 

1

: to move forward : advance, proceed

the story progressed

how is the experiment progressing?

2

: to move toward a higher, better, or more advanced stage