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PRO-: the Greek prefix meaning “before”

PRO- comes from Greek and means “before”. You can see it in problematic, proceed and proclaim. WordPith uses it in 43 words.

Meaning
before
Origin
Greek
Type
Prefix
Word lists
Core Roots, GRE / GMAT, Law & Legal Latin, MCAT / NCLEX / UCAT, Medical Terms, Pharmacology, SAT / ACT / PSAT, Spanish Cognates, TOEFL / IELTS

Words built from PRO-

PROBLEMATIC

problematic

Raising a difficulty

Greek problema, a thing thrown forward — an obstacle, then a question.

PROCEED

proceed

To carry on with something

Latin procedere, to go forward.

PROCLAIM

proclaim

To announce publicly and with authority

Latin proclamare, to cry forth.

PROCLIVITY

proclivity

A leaning toward something, usually unwise

Latin proclivis, sloping forward. The ground tilts and you go with it.

PRODUCE

produce

To make or bring forth

Latin producere, to lead forward.

PROFANE

profane

Treating sacred things without respect

Latin pro fano, outside the temple.

PROFESSION

profession

A job requiring training; or a public declaration

Latin profiteri, to declare publicly — you professed your vows before you practised.

PROFUSE

profuse

Poured out in great quantity

Latin profundere, to pour forth. Confuse, refuse and infusion all pour.

PROGRAM

program

A plan, a broadcast, or a set of instructions

Greek programma, a public notice written up beforehand.

PROGRESSION

progression

A stepping forward, in order

Latin progredi. Arithmetic and history both have them.

PROHIBIT

prohibit

To forbid

Compare Spanish prohibir.

PROJECTION

projection

A forecast; or throwing an image forward

Latin proicere, to throw forth.

PROLONG

prolong

To make last longer

Compare Spanish prolongar.

PROMINENCE

prominence

Standing out, in importance or in shape

Latin prominere, to jut forward.

PROMOTE

promote

To raise in rank, or to advertise

Latin promovere, to move forward.

PROPENSITY

propensity

A leaning toward some behaviour

Latin propendere, to hang forward. Pendant, pending and pensive all hang.

PROPONENT

proponent

Someone who puts a case forward

Latin proponere, to set forth. A proposal is the thing set forth.

PROPOSITION

proposition

A statement put forward for consideration

Latin proponere, to set forth.

PROSECUTION

prosecution

Bringing a criminal case, and the side that brings it

Latin prosequi, to follow forth. To prosecute a case is to pursue it to its end.

PROSPECT

prospect

What lies ahead, seen from here

Latin prospicere, to look forward. A prospector looks ahead for gold.

PROSPER

prosper

To thrive

Compare Spanish prosperar. Latin pro spe, according to hope.

PROTECT

protect

To keep from harm

Compare Spanish proteger.

PROTEST

protest

To declare publicly, and usually against

Latin protestari, to witness forth. Protestants were named for a formal declaration, not a march.

PROTRACTED

protracted

Drawn out far longer than it needed to be

Latin protrahere, to draw forward.

PROVOCATIVE

provocative

Calling something out of someone, usually a reaction

Latin provocare, to call forth. A provocation summons the response it complains about.

PROVOKE

provoke

To stir a reaction, usually an angry one

Compare Spanish provocar.

REPRODUCTION

reproduction

Producing offspring, or a copy

Latin reproducere, to lead forth again.

PRODRUG

prodrug

A compound that only becomes active once in the body

Pharmacological vocabulary is built by stacking Greek and Latin elements; the tiles are the elements.

PROGNOSTIC

prognostic

Indicating the likely course of a disease

Greek progignoskein, to know beforehand.

PROLOGUE

prologue

The part that comes before the story begins

Before plus word: the speech given before a Greek play.

PRONOUNCE

pronounce

To declare formally, or to say a word aloud

To report forth. A court pronounces sentence; the two senses are one word.

PROPEL

propel

To drive forward

Latin propellere.

PROPHASE

prophase

The first stage of mitosis, when chromosomes condense

Greek phasis, an appearance.

PROPHYLAXIS

prophylaxis

Treatment given in advance to prevent

Greek prophylax, a guard set before.

PROPITIOUS

propitious

Favourable: the omens are good

Latin propitius, well-disposed, said first of gods who had been appeased.

PROVIDENT

provident

Providing for what is coming

Latin providere, to see ahead. Prudent is the same word, contracted.

PROGNOSIS

prognosis

A doctor's forecast of how an illness will go

Before plus knowledge: knowing ahead. A Hippocratic term.

PROGNOSTICATE

prognosticate

To foretell from present signs

Greek prognostikos, foreknowing.

PROKARYOTE

prokaryote

An organism whose cells have no nucleus

Greek pro karyon, before the kernel.

PROMULGATE

promulgate

To put a law or idea into effect publicly

Latin promulgare, to make known.

More words with PRO-: prophylactic, propitiate, proscribe.

Quick check

1. Which word means: What lies ahead, seen from here?

2. Which word means: Favourable: the omens are good?

3. Which word means: To raise in rank, or to advertise?

Roots that pair with PRO-

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