progress

1 of 2

noun

prog·​ress ˈprä-grəs How to pronounce progress (audio)
-ˌgres
US also and British usually ˈprō-ˌgres
Synonyms of progress
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:
progressed; progressing; progresses

intransitive verb

1
: to move forward : proceed
2
: to develop to a higher, better, or more advanced stage

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Over time, progress may slow because there is a limit to how much resistance body weight alone can provide. Jakob Roze, Health, 1 July 2026 For Swanson, the industry’s progress has created a new challenge. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Verb
In the oil market, prices dropped in the morning but pared their losses as the day progressed. Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Heat exhaustion is dangerous and can progress to heat stroke, which is potentially deadly. Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for progress

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of progress was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Progress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progress. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

progress

1 of 2 noun
prog·​ress ˈpräg-rəs How to pronounce progress (audio)
-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
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

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