n. [ L. progressus, from progredi, p. p. progressus, to go forth or forward; pro forward + gradi to step, go: cf. F. progrès. See Grade. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A moving or going forward; a proceeding onward; an advance; specifically: (a) In actual space, as the progress of a ship, carriage, etc. (b) In the growth of an animal or plant; increase. (c) In business of any kind; as, the progress of a negotiation; the progress of art. (d) In knowledge; in proficiency; as, the progress of a child at school. (e) Toward ideal completeness or perfection in respect of quality or condition; -- applied to individuals, communities, or the race; as, social, moral, religious, or political progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A journey of state; a circuit; especially, one made by a sovereign through parts of his own dominions. [ 1913 Webster ]

The king being returned from his progresse. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Progressed p. pr. & vb. n. Progressing. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To make progress; to move forward in space; to continue onward in course; to proceed; to advance; to go on; as, railroads are progressing. “As his recovery progressed.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let me wipe off this honorable dew,
That silverly doth progress on thy checks. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

They progress in that style in proportion as their pieces are treated with contempt. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

The war had progressed for some time. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make improvement; to advance. Bayard. [ 1913 Webster ]

If man progresses, art must progress too. Caird. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make progress in; to pass through. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. progressio: cf. F. progression. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of moving forward; a proceeding in a course; motion onward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Course; passage; lapse or process of time. [ 1913 Webster ]

I hope, in a short progression, you will be wholly immerged in the delices and joys of religion. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Math.) Regular or proportional advance in increase or decrease of numbers; continued proportion, arithmetical, geometrical, or harmonic. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) A regular succession of tones or chords; the movement of the parts in harmony; the order of the modulations in a piece from key to key. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arithmetical progression, a progression in which the terms increase or decrease by equal differences, as the numbers { 2, 4, 6, 8, 1010, 8, 6, 4, 2 } by the difference 2. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Geometrical progression, a progression in which the terms increase or decrease by equal ratios, as the numbers { 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 6464, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 } by a continual multiplication or division by 2. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Harmonic progression, a progression in which the terms are the reciprocals of quantities in arithmetical progression, as 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to progression; tending to, or capable of, progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who holds to a belief in the progression of society toward perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who maintains the doctrine of progression in organic forms; -- opposed to uniformitarian. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who makes, or holds to, progress; a progressionist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. progressif. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Moving forward; proceeding onward; advancing; evincing progress; increasing; as, progressive motion or course; -- opposed to retrograde. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Improving; as, art is in a progressive state. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (U. S. History) Of or pertaining to the Progressive party. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. Favoring improvement, change, progress, or reform, especially in a political context; -- used of people. Contrasted with conservative. [ PJC ]

☞ The term progressive is sometimes used to describe the views of a politician, where liberal might have been used at one time, in communities where the term liberal has come to connote extreme views. [ PJC ]

5. Disposed toward adopting new methods in government or education, holding tolerant and liberal ideas, and generally favoring improvement in civic life; -- of towns and communities. [ PJC ]

Progressive euchre or
Progressive whist, a way of playing at card parties, by which after every game, the losers at the first table go to the last table, and the winners at all the tables, except the first, move up to the next table. --
Progressive muscular atrophy (Med.), a nervous disorder characterized by continuous atrophy of the muscles. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Pro*gress"ive*ly, adv. -- Pro*gress"ive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (U. S. History) The political party formed, chiefly out of the Republican party, by the adherents of Theodore Roosevelt in the presidential campaign of 1912. The name Progressive party was chosen at the meeting held on Aug. 7, 1912, when the candidates were nominated and the platform adopted. It was also known as the Bull Moose Party. Among the chief articles in the platform are those demanding direct primaries, preferential primaries for presidential nominations, direct election of United States senators, women's suffrage, and recall of judicial decisions in certain cases. In 1924 the label was also adopted by the party supporting the presidential campaign of Robert M. La Follette, and in 1948 it was also adopted by the party of Henry Wallace. The party is no longer (1998) considered a force in U. S. national politics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + PJC ]