YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

proactive

Adjective

IPA /prəʊˈæktɪv/

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Meaning in plain English

Taking action early to improve a situation or prevent a problem, instead of waiting for events to force you to act.

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Pronunciation

proactive/prəʊˈæktɪv/

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We took a proactive approach and repaired the roof before winter.
A proactive student asks for help before a small difficulty becomes a major problem.

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We took a ________ approach and repaired the roof before winter.

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proactive — Taking action early to improve a situation or prevent a problem, instead of waiting for events to force you to act.

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Taking action early to improve a situation or prevent a problem, instead of waiting for events to force you to act.

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Word origin

Formed in the twentieth century from pro- and part of the word reactive.

Did you know?

Proactively is the adverb: a team can proactively identify possible problems.

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