progressive
Favoring gradual change
Progressive describes forward motion or advancement.
A progressive disease advances through stages; a progressive series moves from one point to another by degrees.
In politics, progressive favors reform and social improvement, often through government action: progressive policies on healthcare, a progressive candidate.
The term positions itself against conservative, suggesting openness to change.
Progressive taxation increases rates as income rises.
In grammar, the progressive aspect describes ongoing action: I am writing.
As a noun, a progressive is someone who holds reformist political views. (Capitalized Progressive refers to a specific political party or movement.)
Proceeding by small additions
- step-by-stepIn sequential stages
- phasedIntroduced or removed incrementally
- gradualDeveloping slowly over time
- sequentialOccurring in succession
cumulative · escalating · advancing · unfolding · developing · evolving · building · accumulating
Open to reform
- left-wingPolitically liberal or radical
- reformistAdvocate for gradual change
- socialistProponent of collective ownership
- activistVigorous cause champion
advocacy · equality · social justice · inclusivity · diversity · civil liberties · feminism · environmentalism
Anticipating future needs
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- modernOf recent times
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
visionary · trailblazing · groundbreaking · futuristic · unconventional · experimental · modernizing · reforming
Feature or dimension
- tenseStrained or nervous
- continuousWithout pause or gap
- ongoingIn progress now
- auxiliaryGiving additional support
Moving in forward direction
- worseningBecoming more severe
- degenerativeCausing progressive decline
- stagingPreparing for presentation
- metastaticHaving spread from origin
deteriorating · chronic · terminal · prognosis · symptomatic · palliative · declining · irreversible
Solid earthen material
- jazzImprovisational American music genre
- metalHard conductive solid
- electronicRelating to circuitry devices
- experimentalTesting new methods
concept album · time signature · polyrhythm · fusion · instrumental · suite · art rock · symphonic
Completed formal studies
- income taxGovernment charge on earnings
- bracketsMarks setting off text
- wealth taxTax on total possessions
- redistributionSharing out again differently
proportional · sliding scale · tiered · estate tax · capital gains · tax burden · fiscal policy · revenue
incremental
Proceeding by small additions
- step-by-stepIn sequential stages
- phasedIntroduced or removed incrementally
- gradualDeveloping slowly over time
sequential · cumulative · escalating · advancing · unfolding · developing · evolving · building · accumulating · continuous
liberal
Open to reform
- left-wingPolitically liberal or radical
- reformistAdvocate for gradual change
- socialistProponent of collective ownership
activist · advocacy · equality · social justice · inclusivity · diversity · civil liberties · feminism · environmentalism · labor rights
forward-thinking
Anticipating future needs
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- modernOf recent times
avant-garde · visionary · trailblazing · groundbreaking · futuristic · unconventional · experimental · modernizing · reforming · advancing
aspect
Feature or dimension
- tenseStrained or nervous
- continuousWithout pause or gap
- ongoingIn progress now
auxiliary · participle · verb form · conjugation · periphrastic
advancing
Moving in forward direction
- worseningBecoming more severe
- degenerativeCausing progressive decline
- stagingPreparing for presentation
metastatic · deteriorating · chronic · terminal · prognosis · symptomatic · palliative · declining · irreversible
rock
Solid earthen material
- jazzImprovisational American music genre
- metalHard conductive solid
- electronicRelating to circuitry devices
experimental · concept album · time signature · polyrhythm · fusion · instrumental · suite · art rock · symphonic · virtuoso
graduated
Completed formal studies
- income taxGovernment charge on earnings
- bracketsMarks setting off text
- wealth taxTax on total possessions
redistribution · proportional · sliding scale · tiered · estate tax · capital gains · tax burden · fiscal policy · revenue
- political ideologiesconservatism, conservative, anarchism, liberalism, liberal
- eyeglass lensesbifocal, bifocals, single vision, trifocal, trifocals
- left-wingliberal, social democracy, social democrat, democratic socialism, democratic socialist
- political labelsliberal, conservative, leftist, rightist, moderate
- reformersreformers, reformer, social reformers, social reformer, political reformer
- Forward-thinkingvisionary, innovative, pioneering, futuristic, prescient
progressiveconservative
Cautious about altering customs
reactionary · right-wing · traditionalist · regressive · paleoconservative
progressiveregressive
Reverting to earlier stages
retrograde · retrogressive · backward · reverting · returning
progressiveconservative
Cautious about altering customs
traditional · orthodox · conventional · old-fashioned · hidebound
- progressive left
- progressive valuesSocially reformist political beliefs
- geometric progressionSeries multiplying by constant
- progressive rockComplex, extended rock music
- progressive lensesLineless multifocal corrective lenses
- chord progressionSequence of tonal changes
progression, progressing, progressive aspect, progressively, progressivism, progressives, unprogressive, progressiveness, progressivity