progression

noun

pro·​gres·​sion prə-ˈgre-shən How to pronounce progression (audio)
1
: a sequence of numbers in which each term is related to its predecessor by a uniform law
2
a
: the action or process of progressing : advance
b
: a continuous and connected series : sequence
3
a
: succession of musical tones or chords
b
: the movement of musical parts in harmony
progressional
prə-ˈgresh-nəl How to pronounce progression (audio)
-ˈgre-shə-nᵊl
adjective

Examples of progression in a Sentence

Doctors were surprised by the rapid progression of the disease. the natural progression of his musical talent
Recent Examples on the Web For Donley, the decision to add a political bent to her videos and endorse the boycott was a natural progression. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 He’s seen no progression of his cancer for about six months now, according to his doctors. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 The steady progression of their joint public outings has reached something of a fever pitch this month. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2024 Its fantastical re-creations of Victorian London, Lisbon, Alexandria and Paris meshed with the progression of lead character Bella Baxter’s journey, informing and delighting each step of the way. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 But at this point in spring training, and with Garrett’s throwing progression still barely taking off, reality has sunk in. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Again, your hype squad can give you a more personalized framework for this progression. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 4 Mar. 2024 France’s progression to the final meant that the third-place playoff effectively served as an Olympic qualifying playoff. Neel Shelat, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Kai-Wei Teng, 26, also had success last season with Triple-A Sacramento but only began his throwing progression last week after being sidelined early in camp with an oblique injury. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'progression.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of progression was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near progression

Cite this Entry

“Progression.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progression. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

progression

noun
pro·​gres·​sion prə-ˈgresh-ən How to pronounce progression (audio)
1
: the action of progressing or moving forward
2
: a continuous and connected series (as of acts, events, or steps)
3
: a changing from one chord to another by means of several notes or chords coming one after the other

More from Merriam-Webster on progression

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