SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
progressive
adjective
Developing by stages or favoring reform and new approaches.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Developing in stages
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topProgressive describes movement through stages and does not by itself mean improvement. Cumulative means earlier effects are added together.
Favoring reform
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topProgressive in social or political discussion concerns reform. Liberal depends on the political context, and innovative need not describe a political position.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See progressive in use
The course used progressive exercises that became more demanding each week.
The new system's introduction was progressive, moving through a small trial, a shared review, and wider use as each stage was completed.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license