Progression
/prəˈɡreʃən/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe act of moving forward or advancing; a continuous series.
/prəˈɡreʃən/
A gradual movement or development towards a particular goal or state.
The company's progression from a small startup to a global leader was remarkable.
💡 Simply: Progression is like climbing a ladder step by step. It’s about how something moves forward, improves, or changes over time. For example, the progression of your skills in a video game as you play more and more.
👶 For kids: Progression means getting better or moving forward, like when you learn new things in school.
More Examples
The doctor monitored the progression of the patient's illness.
There's been a clear progression in her artistic style over the years.
How It's Used
"The progression of a disease can be monitored through regular check-ups."
"The song features a familiar chord progression."
"The school tracks students' progression through the curriculum."
A sequence, especially a series of steps or events.
/prəˈɡreʃən/
A sequence of things.
The plot followed a logical progression, with each chapter building on the last.
💡 Simply: A progression can also mean a series of things in order. Think about a recipe, where the instructions are a progression of steps. Or the different levels of a video game.
👶 For kids: Progression is also a set of things that happen one after the other, like the levels in a video game.
More Examples
The teacher explained the mathematical progression to the students.
The story unfolds through a series of progressions of events.
How It's Used
"An arithmetic progression is a sequence where the difference between any two consecutive terms is constant."
"A chord progression is a series of chords played in sequence."
"The progression of events led to the inevitable conflict."
Synonyms
Advancement
Development
Evolution
Growth
Improvement
Order
Procession
From Latin *prōgressiō* ("a going forward, advance"), from *prōgredī* ("to go forward"), from *prō-* ("forward") + *gradī* ("to walk, step").
The word 'progression' has been used since the 14th century to describe the act of advancing.
Memory tip
Think of 'progress' - it's the action, 'progression' is the path of that action.