plural pros
Synonyms of pronext
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
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Noun
The spinoff will crown one upcoming dancer the next pro to join the cast of Dancing With the Stars season 35. Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 Thanks in large part to its roster of dance pros and a cast that drafted off the success of other reality shows (The Traitors’s Dylan Efron; Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’s Whitney Leavitt), the show’s ratings surged to pre-COVID levels. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Adverb
Jake Johnson stars as Dusty Boyd, an over-the-hill tennis pro slumming it as a children’s tennis teacher at his father Chuck’s (Ed Harris) country club, where pickleball is squeezing out tennis. David Faris, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 Ronaldo and Rodríguez have focused on raising their children together in Saudi Arabia, where the soccer pro plays for Al-Nassr FC. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Preposition
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
The Thunder was outmatched by a Memphis team that features multiple second- and third-year pros who have played (or will play) significant minutes. Latif Love, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026 The UConn experience under Jim Penders and his staff provided foundation for what Fedko would be up against as a pro. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pro

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

1837, 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

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

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