proactive

adjective

pro·​ac·​tive (ˌ)prō-ˈak-tiv 

1

[pro- entry 2 + reactive] : acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes

Once patients have the big data about their bodies, the thinking goes, they can be proactive about their health, cut care costs and foster better relationships with their doctors.

—Alexandra Sifferlin

Proactive managers are planners; they anticipate crises rather than reel from them.

—Michael Tannenbaum et al.

2

[pro- entry 1] psychology : relating to, caused by, or being interference between previous learning and the recall or performance of later learning

Because of proactive interference, you may have difficulty remembering a new area code (you keep dialing the old one by mistake).

—Jeffrey Nevid

Did you know?

People who tend to react to a problem only when it's gotten serious could be called reactive people. Until recently, reactive (in this sense) didn't really have an antonym. So proactive was coined to describe the kind of person who's always looking into the future in order to be prepared for anything. A good parent attempts to be proactive on behalf of his or her children, trying to imagine the problems they might be facing in a few months or years. A company's financial officers study the patterns of the company's earnings to make sure it won't risk running short of cash at any point in the next year or two. Proactive has only been around a few decades, and it can still sometimes sound like a fashionable buzzword.

Synonyms

• farseeing
• farsighted
• forehanded
• foreseeing
• foresighted
• forethoughtful
• forward
• forward-looking
• prescient
• provident
• visionary

Examples of proactive in a Sentence

A survey was given out to customers so that the company could take proactive steps to improve their service.

The city is taking a proactive approach to fighting crime by hiring more police officers.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Deploying American Blockchains Act of 2023 showcases a growing desire in Congress for the United States to take a more proactive role in leading the world in blockchain technology. —Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

The study's authors stressed that there is no immediate cause for alarm but urged proactive measures to track H5N1's evolution. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

The proactive toolkit, developed by La Trobe University for around 300,000 public sector workers in the state of Victoria, aims to dispel misconceptions around neurodiversity and develop nuanced ways to work with employees in a way that benefits both individuals and the business. —New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2024

Health officials are taking proactive measures to prevent such a situation from occurring. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

proactive

adjective

pro·​ac·​tive prō-ˈak-tiv 

: acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes

proactively adverb

Medical Definition

proactive

adjective

pro·​ac·​tive (ˈ)prō-ˈak-tiv 

: relating to, caused by, or being interference between previous learning and the recall or performance of later learning

proactive inhibition of memory