adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/pɹəˈɡɹɛsɪvli/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R AA0 G R EH1 S IH0 V L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In a progressive manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
increase something progressively
progressively grow
progressively raise the standards
The questions get progressively more difficult
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
As part of a progression.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
advancing in amount or intensity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
she became increasingly depressed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: increasingly, more and more
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English progressive Middle English -ly English -ly English progressively From progressive + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
progressivament
— in a progressive manner
Esperanto:
progrese
— in a progressive manner
Finnish:
edistyksellisesti
— in a progressive manner
German:
zunehmend
— in a progressive manner
German:
stufenweise
— in a progressive manner
German:
fortschreitend
— in a progressive manner
German:
fortschrittlich
— in a progressive manner
German:
abschnittsweise
— in a progressive manner
German:
schrittweise
— in a progressive manner
German:
immerwährend
— in a progressive manner
German:
immer
— in a progressive manner
Greek:
προοδευτικά
(proodeftiká)
— in a progressive manner
Italian:
progressivamente
— in a progressive manner
Polish:
postępowo
— in a progressive manner
Polish:
progresywnie
— in a progressive manner
Portuguese:
progressivamente
— in a progressive manner
Romanian:
din ce în ce
— in a progressive manner
Romanian:
progresiv
— in a progressive manner
Romanian:
în mod progresiv
— in a progressive manner
Spanish:
progresivamente
— in a progressive manner
Turkish:
basamak basamak
— in a progressive manner
