progress
[ noun prog-res, -ruhs or, esp. British, proh-gres; verb pruh-gres ]
/ noun ˈprɒg rɛs, -rəs or, esp. British, ˈproʊ grɛs; verb prəˈgrɛs /
noun
verb (used without object) pro·gress [pruh-gres] /prəˈgrɛs/
to go forward or onward in space or time: The wagon train progressed through the valley. As the play progressed, the leading man grew more inaudible.
to grow or develop, as in complexity, scope, or severity; advance: Are you progressing in your piano studies? The disease progressed slowly.
Idioms for progress
in progress,
going on; under way; being done; happening: The meeting was already in progress.
Origin of progress
SYNONYMS FOR progress
historical usage of progress
The English word
progress (both noun and verb) has a curious history. The noun, which has been in English since the 15th century, ultimately comes from the Latin noun
prōgressus “forward movement, advance (to a better place or state), growth, increase (as of years).” (Latin
prōgressus is from the verb
prōgredī “to come or go forward, advance, proceed, mature, grow old”).
The verb progress entered English in the second half of the 16th century in a functional shift of the noun to a verb (a functional shift, also called functional change, is a change in the grammatical function of a word, such as the noun fun having taken on adjective meanings).
In the 18th century, the verb progress was no longer common in Britain, but was used with regularity in the United States (George Washington, in a letter of 1791 writes, “The business of laying out the city [the new capital] is progressing.”) When the verb reentered British usage about 1800, it was regarded as an Americanism.
From its first appearance in English, the noun had the meaning “onward movement in space,” as well as the figurative sense “advancement to a further or higher stage”; from this developed the more specific reference to social and economic reform leading to a better state or condition.
The verb progress entered English in the second half of the 16th century in a functional shift of the noun to a verb (a functional shift, also called functional change, is a change in the grammatical function of a word, such as the noun fun having taken on adjective meanings).
In the 18th century, the verb progress was no longer common in Britain, but was used with regularity in the United States (George Washington, in a letter of 1791 writes, “The business of laying out the city [the new capital] is progressing.”) When the verb reentered British usage about 1800, it was regarded as an Americanism.
From its first appearance in English, the noun had the meaning “onward movement in space,” as well as the figurative sense “advancement to a further or higher stage”; from this developed the more specific reference to social and economic reform leading to a better state or condition.
OTHER WORDS FROM progress
un·pro·gressed, adjectiveWords nearby progress
Example sentences from the Web for progress
British Dictionary definitions for progress
progress
noun (ˈprəʊɡrɛs)
verb (prəˈɡrɛs)
(intr)
to move forwards or onwards, as towards a place or objective
to move towards or bring nearer to completion, maturity, or perfection
Word Origin for progress
C15: from Latin
prōgressus a going forwards, from
prōgredī to advance, from
pro-
1 +
gradī to step
Idioms and Phrases with progress
progress
see in progress.