˜yÐÄvlog

Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

proactive

[ proh-ak-tiv ]

adjective

  1. serving to prepare for, intervene in, or control an expected occurrence or situation, especially a negative or challenging one; anticipatory:

    The new guidelines will help industry employers develop proactive measures to keep their workplaces safe.



proactive

/ ±è°ùəʊˈæ°ì³Ùɪ±¹ /

adjective

  1. tending to initiate change rather than reacting to events
  2. psychol of or denoting a mental process that affects a subsequent process
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Other ˜yÐÄvlog Forms

  • ±è°ù´Ç·²¹³¦Â·³Ù¾±±¹±ð noun
  • ±è°ù´Ç·²¹³¦Â·³Ù¾±±¹Â·¾±Â·³Ù²â [proh-ak-, tiv, -i-tee], ±è°ù´Ç·²¹³¦Â·³Ù¾±±¹±ð·ness noun
  • ±è°ù´Ç·²¹³¦Â·³Ù¾±±¹±ð·ly adverb
Discover More

˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of proactive1

First recorded in 1930–35; pro- 1 + active
Discover More

˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of proactive1

C20: from pro- ² + ( re ) active
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Last year laws were strengthened to ensure platforms must take steps to proactively remove this material.

From

“We are really trying to get proactive here, instead of waiting, watching folks die,†said Daniel Tsai, director of the San Francisco Public Health Department.

From

It will also assess the potential legal, technological and privacy challenges of a registry and explore other potential solutions, such as a proactive emergency notification program and improved data-sharing protocols across agencies.

From

"I think the name of the game is that you're better off in this case to react rather than be proactive, and wait to see what those policies are actually going to be," said Malek.

From

However, the watchdog said the sum had been halved because of the proactive engagement of Advanced with police, cyber security services and the NHS following the attack.

From

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Proactive

What doesÌýproactive mean?

Proactive is the opposite of reactive. Actions that are proactive are initiated not in reaction to a situation but instead out of a desire to make a positive change, prepare for a situation, or prevent something from happening.

Proactive is commonly used to describe people who take such actions. It’s also commonly used in the phrase proactive measures, meaning proactive actions, especially those done to prevent a negative situation.

Example: Henry credits most of his success to being proactive instead of waiting for opportunities to come to him.

Where doesÌýproactive come from?

The first records of proactive come from the 1930s. It’s formed with the prefix pro-, which in this case is used to mean “before.†(When used in other words, like procrastinate, pro- often means “forward†or “outward.â€)

People who procrastinate are not proactive—they wait until the last minute to do things. Proactive people do things ahead of time. Specifically, they take initiative, as opposed to simply reacting when things happen. People are often praised for being proactive when their proactive measures are recognized for having prevented something negative from happening or having helped to make it not quite as bad as it could have been if such actions hadn’t been taken.

For example, city officials can be proactive by building up a budget surplus that can be used in times of emergency. A student can be proactive by starting to research a topic that they know will be addressed in upcoming classes. An employee can be proactive by taking actions to address a problem that might happen in the future. In most cases, being proactive involves anticipating what’s going to happen and then taking action instead of waiting to react to it.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to proactive?

  • proactively (adverb)
  • proactivity (noun)
  • proactiveness (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with proactive?Ìý

What are some words that often get used in discussing proactive?

How isÌýproactive used in real life?

Proactive is always used positively, especially when recognizing people whose actions have helped to prevent negative situations or helped to make them not as bad as they could have been.

Ìý

Ìý

Try usingÌýproactive!

Which of the following words would NOT be used to refer to someone who’s being proactive?

A. go-getter
B. procrastinator
C. prepared
D. gung-ho

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement