pro

1 of 7

noun

ˈprō 

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

: professional

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

Noun

For the first time in five games Stafford did not throw a touchdown pass, but the 16th-year pro extended his streak of games without an interception to a career-best five. —Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

Some pros also recommend gentle dishwashing liquid for a thorough clean. —Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 12 Dec. 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

Nevertheless, each has pros that might appeal to you. —Medea Giordano, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024

Edward Berger built a formidable team of character pros around Ralph Fiennes, who anchors the tale with layers of gravitas. —Steven Gaydos, Variety, 16 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing pro

• all-pro
• pro-am
• pro and con
• pro bono
• pro-choice
• pro-family
• pro forma
• pro forma invoice
• pro-inflammatory
• pro-life
• pro rata
• pro se
• pro shop
• pro-social
• pro tem
• pro tempore
• pro-verb
• quid pro quo
• turn pro

Kids Definition

pro

1 of 5 noun

ˈprō 

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

: professional

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