proactively
/ˌpɹəʊˈæktɪvˌli/proh-AK-tiv-lee
/ˌpɹoʊˈæktɪvˌli/proh-AK-tiv-lee
Meaningin a way that is acting forward
Common meaning: in a proactive way
- proforward; forth
- actdrive, lead; do, actLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 74 · scan
- iveadjective ending: tending to
- lyadverb ending: in a way
‘forward’ + ‘drive, lead’ → proactively
Journey through time
- Latinagō, ēgī, āctum‘drive, lead’
- Englishproactive‘taking steps early to head off a likely problem’
- Englishformed in English from proactiveproactively‘in a proactive way’ · today
Sources & notes
Inferred source: no dictionary we use has an entry for this exact word. Its history is worked out from closely related, listed words in the same family, and we are trusting that link, so bear that in mind. Inferred meaning: in a way that is acting forward. It can be inferred from any of: proactive.
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from proactive + -ly (inferred: this exact word is not listed in our dictionaries).
Roots
- agō, ēgī, āctum Latin “drive, lead; do, act”
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