progressive

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​gres·​sive prə-ˈgre-siv 

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by progress: such as

a

: using, involving, or interested in new or modern ideas

a technologically progressive company

In the face of threats to employment, some progressive thinkers advocate jettisoning our work ethic and building a world without work.

—Jean-Philippe Deranty

And throughout 13 films and five TV series, the Star Trek franchise has produced some of the most thoughtful, progressive, and groundbreaking moments of modern entertainment—including, most famously, the first interracial kiss on television.

—Matt Miller

With updated uniforms—cargo and capri pants—and merit badges that emphasize computer skills and car repair, Christie Ach says, the [Girl Scouts] organization continues the progressive traditions forged in 1912 when founder Juliette Gordon Low encouraged her troop of proper Southern belles to don bloomers and play basketball.

—Peg Tyre

b

: characterized by continuous improvement or advancement

For the making of this nation there had to be … the progressive development of its institutions of government.

—John W. Dafoe

Experience has taught me that we are progressive beings, so it's only natural to want to escape a place of complacency, struggle or dissatisfaction and walk into a new, unfamiliar realm to see what opportunities await us.

—Ifonia Jean

2

a

: of, relating to, or favoring a philosophy of political progressivism (see progressivism sense 1) : supporting or promoting the advancement of the public good through government action

progressive politicians

especially : calling for government to be used to meet popular social, political, economic, and environmental needs and demands and to advance rights and protections for marginalized groups

… progressive policies such as single-payer health care, robust action on climate change and student debt cancellation continue to poll high among Democratic voters, drawing majority support in some states.

—Astead W. Herndon

b

Progressive : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of progressivism

ran as the Progressive candidate

—usually used in the capitalized names of specific political parties

the Vermont Progressive Party

the Progressive Party of the Maldives

3

: of, relating to, or constituting an educational theory or doctrine marked by emphasis on the individual child, informality of classroom procedure, and encouragement of self-expression

And the school appeared to be a happy place. Its pedagogical model was progressive—"child centered"—based on learning through experience.

—George Packer

The new curriculum in Virginia was vintage progressive education in that it sought to replace traditional subject matter with real-life problem solving.

—Diane Ravitch

—sometimes used in combination

The basic conviction that children grow best when adults grant them space, time, and agency is central to many progressive-education models.

—Conor Williams

4

: of, relating to, or characterized by progression : occurring or arranged in a series or sequence (as of actions, events, or stages)

progressive increases in prices

The individual advances through progressive exercises that correspond to the stages of healing.

—Sea & Shore

… a theory of genetic programming, in which humpbacks are hardwired to make progressive changes in their songs.

—Annick Smith

5

a

: moving forward or onward : advancing

… the overall progressive motion of the cold front.

—Picayune (Mississippi) Item

b

: marked by movement or progression from one place to another

especially, of a meal : having its courses at different locations

This is a cuisine that fuels hot-headed opinions over the best place to eat. One answer is the progressive dinner, with each course at a different restaurant.

—Phyllis C. Richman

6

a

: increasing in extent or severity

a progressive disease

b

: increasing in rate as the tax base increases

a progressive tax

In a graduated—or progressive—tax structure, people who earn more money pay higher rates on their income.

—Ted Slowik

7

grammar : of, relating to, or constituting a verb form that expresses an action or state in progress at the time of speaking or a time spoken of

"Am seeing," "have been seeing," and "will be seeing" are progressive forms of the verb see.

8

: of, relating to, having, or being a multifocal lens with a gradual transition between focal lengths

eyeglasses with progressive lenses

9

: of, relating to, or using a method of video scanning (as for television or a computer monitor) in which the horizontal lines of each frame (see frame entry 1 sense 4b(4)) are drawn successively from top to bottom

Progressive scanning is considered superior to interlaced scanning for … video displays, because there is less jitter, particularly for the portrayal of objects that move diagonally or vertically across the screen.

—Tim O'Leary

progressively adverb

getting progressively easier

progressiveness noun

a town known for its progressiveness

progressive

2 of 2

noun

plural progressives

1

: someone who is progressive: such as

a

: an adherent or advocate of the philosophy of political progressivism (see progressivism sense 1) : someone who advocates for or values the advancement of the public good through government action

Progressives traditionally have favored a more regulated and redistributive economy and a certain degree of national economic planning.

—Benjamin Barber

Liberals and progressives are understandably concerned that the First Amendment not become a cloak for plutocracy.

—Kathleen Sullivan

It seems to me that traditional "liberals" in our current parlance are those who focus on using taxpayer money to help better society. And "progressives" are those who focus on using government power to make large institutions play by a set of rules.

—David Sirota

"I think frankly, it is very hard to be a real progressive—and to take on the establishment in a way that I think has to be taken—when you become … dependent … on Wall Street or drug-company money," [Senator Bernie] Sanders told reporters in a video circulated by his campaign.

—Clare Foran

In many ways, the president's willingness to support strict border policies similar to those employed by his predecessor—and loathed by progressives and human rights advocates—reflects a seismic shift in the politics of immigration over the past several years.

—Camilo Montoya-Galvez

b

often Progressive plural Progressives : a member of a Progressive political party

Under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Robert La Follette, and William Jennings Bryan, the Progressives preached "efficiency," "good government," "bipartisanship," and the "scientific management" of public affairs, and declared war on "bossism."

—Christopher Lasch

In the 20th century, progressives cleaned up and expanded government … and experimented with different practical and heavily compromised ways of addressing the Great Depression.

—Jonathan Alter

The Progressives created nonpartisan civic organizations in part as a counterweight to what they saw as the excessive power of political parties, and the reforms of that era actually reduced voter turnout.

—Paul Starr

2

: a person who favors a progressive (see progressive entry 1 sense 3) educational theory or doctrine

Progressivism, which probably made its greatest impact on American schooling during the Depression, stressed a child-centered curriculum that rejected "rote learning and authoritarian discipline." … Progressives emphasized instead the "natural" interests of children and adolescents (like the movies), while arguing for extending education beyond the classroom …

—Eric Smoodin

These progressives contributed to the development of large public school systems intended to provide all students, rich and poor, with access to a public education that would enable them to realize their individual potential …

—Elih Sutisna Yanto and Junjun Muhamad Ramdani

3

progressives : eyeglasses with multifocal lenses having a gradual transition between focal lengths

Synonyms

Adjective

• advanced
• higher
• evolved
• improved

Examples of progressive in a Sentence

Adjective

the progressive movements of the hands of a clock

progressive forms of animal life

Noun

“Believe” is never used in the progressive.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier took a more progressive approach to Native issues. —Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 13 July 2025

Last season, 33 per cent of his total carries in the Premier League were progressive, defined as carries greater than five metres and move the ball at least five metres towards the opposition goal — only Jeremy Doku (38 per cent) had a higher share among players who played at least 900 minutes. —David Ornstein, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Noun

Other progressives politicians should copy the spirit of that and reimagine a winning coalition in their city, state or district. —Lincoln Mitchell, The Conversation, 27 June 2025

Yet in California, even though progressives dominate local and state government, the equity argument has long been inexplicably ignored. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing progressive

• anti-progressive
• progressive tense
• the progressive

Rhymes for progressive

• aggressive
• compressive
• concessive
• depressive
• excessive
• expressive
• impressive
• obsessive
• oppressive
• possessive
• recessive
• regressive

Kids Definition

progressive

1 of 2 adjective

pro·​gres·​sive prə-ˈgres-iv 

1

a

: of, relating to, or showing progress or progression

b

: making use of or interested in new ideas

a progressive city

c

: of or relating to an educational theory emphasizing informal classrooms and encouraging self-expression

a progressive school

2

a

: moving forward or onward : advancing

the progressive movements of the hands of a clock

b

: spreading and becoming worse

a progressive disease

c

: increasing in rate as the base amount increases

a progressive tax

3

: of, relating to, or being a verb form that expresses action or state in progress at the time of speaking or a time spoken of

am seeing and is being seen are progressive forms

progressively adverb

progressiveness noun

progressive

2 of 2 noun

: a person believing in gradual political change and social improvement by government action

Medical Definition

progressive

adjective

pro·​gres·​sive prə-ˈgres-iv 

1

: increasing in extent or severity

a progressive disease

2

: of, relating to, or being a multifocal lens with a gradual transition between focal lengths

progressive bifocals

progressively adverb

Legal Definition

progressive

adjective

pro·​gres·​sive

: increasing in rate as the base increases

a progressive tax