progression

noun

pro·​gres·​sion prə-ˈgre-shən 

1

: a sequence of numbers in which each term is related to its predecessor by a uniform law

2

a

: the action or process of progressing : advance

b

: a continuous and connected series : sequence

3

a

: succession of musical tones or chords

b

: the movement of musical parts in harmony

c

: sequence sense 2c

progressional

prə-ˈgresh-nəl 

-ˈgre-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• catena
• catenation
• chain
• concatenation
• consecution
• nexus
• sequence
• string
• train

Examples of progression in a Sentence

Doctors were surprised by the rapid progression of the disease.

the natural progression of his musical talent

Recent Examples on the Web

Showing evidence of these skills alongside your IT specialty will certainly put you a step above the rest in terms of progression. —Al Kingsley, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

One experimental therapy may slow the progression of symptoms, a small preliminary study suggests. —Linda Carroll, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024

Black Ops 6’s Zombies builds on features introduced in previous games like Black Ops 3 (2015) and Black Ops Cold War (2020), allowing players to put together a comprehensive loadout before jumping into the game and upgrade skills over time with thorough progression systems. —Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024

With time to operate and work through his progressions, Brosmer was able to pick apart the Terrapins, with nearly 80% completions to seven pass catchers for 320 yards and four touchdowns. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing progression

• arithmetic progression
• geometric progression
• harmonic progression

Kids Definition

progression

noun

pro·​gres·​sion prə-ˈgresh-ən 

1

: the action of progressing or moving forward

2

: a continuous and connected series (as of acts, events, or steps)

3

: a changing from one chord to another by means of several notes or chords coming one after the other