1
a(1)
: a royal journey marked by pomp and pageant
(2)
: a state procession
b
: a tour or circuit made by an official (such as a judge)
c
: an expedition, journey, or march through a region
2
: a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal) : advance
3
: gradual betterment
especially
: the progressive development of humankind
see also:
progressed; progressing; progresses
1
: to move forward : proceed
2
: to develop to a higher, better, or more advanced stage
Examples of progress in a Sentence
Noun
the rapid progress of the ship
He made slow progress down the steep cliff.
The project showed slow but steady progress.
Verb
The project has been progressing slowly.
The work is progressing and should be completed soon.
The caravan progressed slowly across the desert.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maveah Griffith,
Charlotte Observer,
3 July 2026
Many countries who have implemented or are planning similar restrictions have been closely watching progress of Australia’s ban.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Jaclyn Hendricks,
PEOPLE,
2 July 2026
Seffrin and his team note that their study suggests that men might be able to thwart bonking by running slower in the first half of a marathon and getting continually faster as the race progresses, a pacing strategy known as negative splitting.
—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for progress
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
Keeping the rescue open has been a challenge Even as wounds from the COVID era began to heal, Gordon said tariffs threatened any progress the rescue was able to make.
—
Maveah Griffith,
Charlotte Observer,
3 July 2026
Many countries who have implemented or are planning similar restrictions have been closely watching progress of Australia’s ban.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
Verb
Their chances of progressing in the soccer tournament dwindled further when they were beaten 3-0 by Brazil in Miami on Wednesday, June 24.
—
Jaclyn Hendricks,
PEOPLE,
2 July 2026
Seffrin and his team note that their study suggests that men might be able to thwart bonking by running slower in the first half of a marathon and getting continually faster as the race progresses, a pacing strategy known as negative splitting.
—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for progress
Cite this Entry
“Progress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progress. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
progress
1 of 2 noun
prog·ress
ˈpräg-rəs 
-ˌres
chiefly British ˈprō-ˌgres
1
: a moving toward a goal
the progress of a ship
2
: gradual improvement or advancement
the progress of science
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