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
Noun
Led by veteran war photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), the tight crew of journalists are total pros. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco were total pros during their latest royal appearance. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Williams is now the most experienced cornerback in a position group that includes third-year pros Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant and second-year pro Tre Tomlinson. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 For some budding musicians (and even old pros), the very sight of sheet music can elicit a fight-or-flight response, bringing up painful memories of strict piano teachers and high-pressure recitals. Tristan Geary, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 After four weeks of auditions, the aspiring pros will show their stuff in weekly real-world dancer challenges (shooting music videos, recreating halftime shows) and endure eliminations in the quest for the $100,000 grand prize. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 At the same time, much of a typical IT pro’s job involves complex and labor-intensive work such as setting up computers, provisioning apps to onboard new employees and staying on top of patches, updates and configuration changes across hundreds of SaaS apps and other systems. Douglas Murray, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 While there are several pros, this is one of the most expensive items on our list for price per ounce. Addie Morton, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Friends and collaborators spoke warmly of Earle, emphasizing his commitment, talent and mentorship of the next-generation of sound pros. Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024
Adverb
As an award show pro, Mulligan knows how to pick the perfect head-turning gown. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The tennis pro dealt with accusations of bullying in the house on Monday's episode of 'The Bachelor' Looking for Mrs. Right came with some wrong moves for Bachelor Joey Graziadei. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 On Tuesday, the tennis pro posted a series of mirror photos on Instagram during her workout. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023 In a feature for Vogue Australia last summer, the wellness pro discussed cherishing life with her three kids and splitting their time between Los Angeles and Australia. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2023 In September, the dancing pro posted an adorable snap of her son Rome rocking a very familiar hairstyle. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023 On Tuesday, the Dancing with the Stars pro posted an adorable Instagram of son Rio John to celebrate him turning 3 months old. Amy Rosner, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023 Dufner went pro soon after graduation, and has five PGA tour wins to date. Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023 Inside the rising popularity of pickleball 08:46 In 2022, the average PPA pro earned $96,000 in payouts, according to the league. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2023
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
But There Are Reasons to Shower at Night, Too Showing in the morning can be healthy for you; however, there are also plenty of pros associated with a nighttime shower schedule. Korin Miller, Health, 16 Mar. 2024 Led by veteran war photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), the tight crew of journalists are total pros. Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 How to Apply Blush Both of our pros love to use textures together and have the powder blush act as a setting powder. Iman Balagam, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 There are also five golf courses, designed by pros like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, and an award-winning, 18,000-square-foot spa. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2024 The sweet and spicy glaze earned rave reviews from our Test Kitchen pros. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Busia-Bourdain is an MMA fighter and jiu-jitsu pro, while Bourdain also practiced the martial art. Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Desert Smash also featured starry players including tennis pros Casper Ruud, Donna Vekic, Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina, Dusan Lajovic and Hubi Hurkacz alongside Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, music producer and DJ Mustard, and Sam Asghari. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 As Kruse points out, that’s exactly what the wine pros are there for. Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pro.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 29 Mar. 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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