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progress

American  
[prog-res, -ruhs, proh-gres, pruh-gres] / ˈprɒg rɛs, -rəs, ˈproʊ grɛs, prəˈgrɛs /

noun

  • progress
    plural
  1. a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage.

    the progress of a student toward a degree.

    Synonyms:
    progression, advance
    Antonyms:
    regression
  2. developmental activity in science, technology, etc., especially with reference to the commercial opportunities created thereby or to the promotion of the material well-being of the public through the goods, techniques, or facilities created.

  3. advancement in general.

  4. growth or development; continuous improvement.

    He shows progress in his muscular coordination.

    Synonyms:
    betterment, increase
  5. the development of an individual or society in a direction considered more beneficial than and superior to the previous level.

  6. Biology. increasing differentiation and perfection in the course of ontogeny or phylogeny.

  7. forward or onward movement.

    the progress of the planets.

  8. the forward course of action, events, time, etc.

  9. an official journey or tour, as by a sovereign or dignitary.


verb (used without object)

  • progresses,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • progressed,
    past participle,  past
  • progressing
    present participle
  1. 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.

  2. to grow or develop, as in complexity, scope, or severity; advance.

    Are you progressing in your piano studies? The disease progressed slowly.

    Synonyms:
    increase, grow, improve, develop, proceed
    Antonyms:
    regress

idioms

  1. in progress, going on; under way; being done; happening.

    The meeting was already in progress.

progress British  

noun

  1. movement forwards, esp towards a place or objective

  2. satisfactory development, growth, or advance

    she is making progress in maths

  3. advance towards completion, maturity, or perfection

    the steady onward march of progress

  4. (modifier) of or relating to progress

    a progress report

  5. biology increasing complexity, adaptation, etc, during the development of an individual or evolution of a group

  6. a stately royal journey

  7. taking place; under way

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (intr) to move forwards or onwards, as towards a place or objective

  2. to move towards or bring nearer to completion, maturity, or perfection

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
progress More Idioms  

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


Etymology

Origin of progress

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English progresse (noun), from Latin prōgressus “a going forward,” equivalent to prōgred-, stem of prōgredī “to advance” ( prō- “advancing, projecting forward” + -gredī, combining form of gradī “to step”; see pro- 1, grade) + -tus suffix of verb action


Explanation

The process of advancement and the way things move in the positive direction of improvement is called progress. If you got a B on your last test and a B+ on this one, that's progress. If you're moving toward a goal, you're making progress too. On a long trip, it feels like you're barely making progress, but every hour you've driven another 60 miles towards your destination. Or, the news reported recent progress in peace talks between the two feuding nations. Have you ever heard someone say that you can't stop progress? That means that things keep advancing and getting more complicated. Place the accent on the second syllable if you use it as a verb. Let's progress to the next stage.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing progress

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At last year's ceremony, William said the winners were "proof that progress is possible".

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Rather than exploring every possible route, the proteins progress through a relatively small number of stable intermediate stages that guide assembly toward completion.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

At the current pace, that means California won’t hit the 2030 target until 2034, according to an analysis from the nonprofit Next 10, which publishes annual reports on the state’s progress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

“Sometimes in medicine we do all the right things, and diseases progress and other things develop,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

I stare at the minutes ticking by on the screen, the call still in progress, but when I hold it up to my ear there’s only static.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The 3v3 format only lasts for 12 months, so goalkeepers do return from under-8 level when the game progresses to 5v5.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Their findings, published in 2025 in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, help explain when physical decline begins, how it progresses, and why staying active remains important throughout life.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

“If Gulf unloads are materially disrupted, fewer clean empties will become available for repositioning just as harvest progresses and October contract needs begin drawing on the fleet.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

“It begins as fight choreography but as it progresses, it starts to get more expressionistic,” says Jeff Kuperman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Sometimes, in the darkness, Werner thinks the cellar may have its own faint light, perhaps emanating from the rubble, the space going a bit redder as the August day above them progresses toward dusk.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

The company has faced questions about the rollout of Tesla's robotaxi venture that has progressed much more slowly than hoped.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

As healing progressed, the difference between males and females gradually became smaller.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Australia's bowlers searched for early swing and Aiden Markram and David Bedingham countered with a second-wicket partnership which progressed at almost 4.5 runs per over.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

China and the EU said they reached an understanding on hybrid vehicles and progressed trade talks in other areas following meetings between EU’s top trade negotiator and his counterpart in Beijing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Bobby won a series of contests against weaker players, but as he progressed up the tournament ladder, he confronted stiffer opposition and started to lose.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

I know that oftentimes, the logistics of getting engaged and married can take away from the joy of progressing in a partnership.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Investors have been eager to hear how the carrier is progressing on its turnaround.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The integration of Evelyn Partners is also progressing well, while the continued rise of term-funding costs should be manageable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

"Those who have a more Western-style diet, including foods like burgers and sodas, may have a greater chance of progressing to fatty liver disease if they are also exposed to polyethylene," Joshi said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

Dr. Gully assured Miss Thorley that Annie was progressing slowly and that there was no need to call Charles back.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

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