pro

1 of 7

noun

plural pros
1
: an argument or evidence in affirmation
an appraisal of the pros and cons
2
: the affirmative side or one holding it

pro

2 of 7

adverb

: on the affirmative side : in affirmation
much has been written pro and con

pro

3 of 7

preposition

: in favor of : for

pro

4 of 7

noun or adjective

PRO

5 of 7

abbreviation

public relations officer

pro-

6 of 7

prefix (1)

1
a
: earlier than : prior to : before
prothalamion
b
: rudimentary : prot-
pronucleus
c
: precursory
proinsulin
2
a
: located in front of or at the front of : anterior to
procephalic
b
: front : anterior
prothorax
3
: projecting
prognathous

pro-

7 of 7

prefix (2)

1
: taking the place of : substituting for
procathedral
procaine
2
: favoring : supporting : championing
pro-American

Examples of pro in a Sentence

Noun He is a pro when it comes to household repairs. She handled that tricky situation like an old pro.
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
Creating and keeping track of all these moving pieces quickly becomes the most complicated part of game development, even for seasoned pros. PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024 The online home improvement platform Thumbtack, which refers consumers to pros for home maintenance, repairs and upgrades, compiled a list of top 10 indoor trending projects leading into winter. Jamie Gold, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adverb
In late October, the retired tennis pro shared a few sweet snaps to her Instagram with her two daughters as the got all dressed up to see Taylor Swift at her Eras Tour show in Miami. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024 The pickleball pro closed out the post with a sweet message. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2024
Preposition
The backstory: Since bringing in longtime pro Wayne Ferreira as coach and taking his game more seriously, Tiafoe has really transformed his career over the last couple years. Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2023 That matched the second-highest finish by a Sun Devil, the other coming from current PGA pro Jon Rahm in 2016. Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 27 May 2021
Noun or adjective
Creating and keeping track of all these moving pieces quickly becomes the most complicated part of game development, even for seasoned pros. PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024 The online home improvement platform Thumbtack, which refers consumers to pros for home maintenance, repairs and upgrades, compiled a list of top 10 indoor trending projects leading into winter. Jamie Gold, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pro 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin, preposition, for — more at for

Adverb

pro-

Preposition

Latin

Prefix (1)

New Latin, from Latin, from Greek, before, forward, forth, for, from pro — more at for

Prefix (2)

Latin pro in front of, before, for, forward — more at for

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Or Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near pro

Cite this Entry

“Pro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pro

1 of 5 noun
plural pros
ˈprōz
: an argument or evidence in favor of something
discuss the pros and cons

pro

2 of 5 adverb
: in favor of something

pro

3 of 5 noun or adjective

pro-

4 of 5 prefix
: located in front of or at the front of
prothorax

pro-

5 of 5 prefix
1
: taking the place of : substituting for
pronoun
2
: favoring : supporting
pro-American
Etymology

Noun

Middle English pro "an argument in favor of something," from Latin pro (preposition) "in favor of, for"

Noun or adjective

a shortened form of professional

Prefix

derived from Greek pro "before, forward"

Prefix

derived from Latin pro "in front of, for"

Medical Definition

Pro

1 of 2 abbreviation
proline; prolyl

PRO

2 of 2 abbreviation
peer review organization

More from Merriam-Webster on pro

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