Etymologically
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progression

Etymology and origin of the English word progression

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1374
Borrowed from
Old French progression via Middle English
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*gʰredʰ-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pɹəˈɡɹɛʃn̩/ (UK); /pɹəˈɡɹɛʃən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English progressioun, borrowed from Old French progression and directly Latin prōgressiō (“a going forward, advancement”),[2][3] from the past participle stem of prōgredior (“to go forward”) (see progress),[2][4] from prō (“forward”) and gradior (“to step, walk”), from gradus (“a step”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰredʰ- (“to walk, go”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Moving from one condition to another: the late 14th century in Etymonline;[2] the OED's earliest quotation, about 1374, is for proceeding forth or issuing.[5]

Semantic evolution

In mathematics a succession of quantities in a constant relation is from about 1430,[5] and travel or a journey from about 1440.[5] Continuous action seen as onward movement is from 1474,[5] and going forward to higher stages from 1586.[5] The musical sense, an advance from one note, and later one chord, to another, is by about 1600.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 1374 – proceeding forth.[5]
  • c. 1430 – a mathematical progression.[5]
  • 1588 – forward movement.[5]
  • c. 1600 – a musical progression.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The process of moving forward or developing; progress.
  2. Movement from one member of a sequence to the next.
  3. (mathematics) A series of numbers in which each term stands in the same relation to the next, as an arithmetic progression.
  4. (music) A succession of notes or chords.

Word family

  • progressional
  • progressionally
  • progressionist
  • harmonic progression
  • geometric progression
  • arithmetic progression

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Progression.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/progression. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·