pro

See also: -pro-, pro-, Pro, Pro., PRO, pró, and prò

Translingual

Etymology

Abbreviation of English Provençal + abbreviation of English old.

Symbol

pro

(international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Old Occitan.

English

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹəʊ/
Audio (UK) (file)
(General American) IPA^(key): /pɹoʊ/
Rhymes: -əʊ

Etymology 1

From Late Middle English pro, from Latin prō (“on behalf of”).

Noun

pro (plural pros)

An advantage of something, especially when contrasted with its disadvantages (cons).
Synonyms: advantage, plus, upside
Antonyms: con, disadvantage, downside, minus
What are the pros and cons of buying a car?
A person who supports a concept or principle.
Antonym: anti

Derived terms

pros and cons

Translations

advantage of something

Catalan: pro (ca) m
Czech: pro (cs) n, klad (cs) m
Finnish: etu (fi), hyvä puoli
French: les pours, les avantages
Georgian: უპირატესობა (uṗiraṭesoba)
Polish: za (pl) n
Portuguese: pró m
Slovak: plus, klad, výhoda
Swedish: fördel (sv) c
Thai: ข้อดี (kɔ̂ɔ-dii)

Preposition

pro

In favor of.
Antonym: anti
He is pro exercise but against physical exertion, quite a conundrum.

Translations

in favor of

Arabic: مَع‎ (ar) (maʿ)
Egyptian Arabic: مع‎ (maʿ)
Catalan: pro (ca)
Czech: pro (cs)
Finnish: puolesta (fi)
Italian: in favore di, pro (it)
Polish: za (pl)
Portuguese: pró
Slovak: za (sk)
Tagalog: sang-ayon
Turkish: adına (tr), lehine, lehinde

Etymology 2

Clipping of professional.

Noun

pro (plural pros)

A professional sportsman.
(colloquial) Professional.
When it comes to DIY, he's a real pro.

Derived terms

pro-am
pro shop

Translations

a professional sportsman

Finnish: ammattilainen (fi)
French: pro (fr) m
Norwegian: proff m

someone who is very good at something

Catalan: expert (ca) m
Czech: profík (cs) m
Estonian: proff
French: pro (fr) m, expert (fr) m
German: Profi (de) m
Hungarian: profi (hu)
Italian: esperto (it) m
Latin: consultus m
Norwegian: proff m
Portuguese: especialista (pt) m or f, perito (pt) m
Russian: про́фи (ru) m or f (prófi), профессиона́л (ru) m (professionál)
Slovak: profík m, profíčka f
Spanish: perito (es) m, experto (es) m
Swedish: proffs (sv) n

Adjective

pro (comparative more pro, superlative most pro)

Professional.
He landed a pro mentorship gig.

Etymology 3

Clipping of prostitute.

Noun

pro (plural pros)

(slang) A prostitute.
- 1974, "Fynn" (Sydney Hopkins), Mister God, This Is Anna
  Millie was one of the dozen or so pros who had a house at the top of the street.

Etymology 4

Clipping of proproctor

Noun

pro (plural pros)

(UK, slang, archaic) A proproctor.

References

1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary

Anagrams

OPr., POR, ROP, RPO

Catalan

Noun

pro m (plural pros)

pro; benefit; bonus

Preposition

pro

pro, for; in favour of

Chinese

Etymology

From clipping of English professional.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pʰou̯²²/, /pʰɹou̯²²/

Adjective

pro

(Hong Kong Cantonese) professional

Czech

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈpro]
audio (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *pro.

Preposition

pro + accusative

for
Zabili ho pro peníze. ― They killed him for his money.

Noun

pro n

pro (advantage)
Synonym: klad
Antonyms: proti, zápor
Všechno má svá pro a proti. ― Everything has its pros and cons.

Esperanto

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

IPA^(key): [pro]
Hyphenation: pro

Preposition

pro

caused by, because of, owing to, due to
motivated by, for the sake of, on account of, for
in exchange for

French

Etymology

Clipping of professionnel(le).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pʁo/

Adjective

pro (plural pros)

(informal) professional
Il est très pro.

Noun

pro m or f by sense (plural pros)

(informal) professional
Elle est une vraie pro.
(informal) a whiz, someone who is very good at something
Nous avons affaire à un pro !

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prō (“for”).

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Preposition

pro (+ accusative or dative)

per, each
Synonyms: je, für
Samt Mehrwertsteuer ergibt sich ein Kaufpreis von rund 30 Euro pro Stück
After VAT the price comes to around 30 euros each.
Der durchschnittliche Pro-Kopf-Konsum von Bier in Deutschland im Jahr 2018 summierte sich auf rund 101,1 Liter.
Average beer consumption in Germany in 2018 came to 101.1 liters per head.

Usage notes

Followed by a noun in either the accusative or dative case. No semantic distinction is made between the cases here. Examples from Duden:
pro gefahrenen / gefahrenem Kilometer ― per kilometer travelled
pro verkauftes / verkauftem Exemplar ― for every copy sold
When used in a Latin phrase, the ablative is used according to the rules of Latin grammar: pars pro toto or Pars pro Toto, and pro forma or pro Forma.

Derived terms

pro Kopf

Ido

Preposition

pro

because of

Indonesian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈpro]
Hyphenation: pro

Etymology 1

From learned borrowing from Latin pro.

Adjective

pro

(colloquial) pro, in favor of.
Synonym: setuju
more.
Synonym: lebih

Etymology 2

From clipping of profesional (“professional”).

Noun

pro (first-person possessive proku, second-person possessive promu, third-person possessive pronya)

Clipping of profesional (“professional”)..

Interlingua

Alternative forms

por

Etymology

From Latin prō, which is the predecessor of French pour, Italian pro and Spanish para via Vulgar Latin por. See also por.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pro/

Preposition

pro

for, to, for the sake of, not against
Ille ha un dono pro te.
He has a gift for you.
Io ha votate pro iste candidato.
I've voted for this candidate.
Medicamento pro uso interne.
Medication for internal use
in place of, in exchange for, in return for
Illa prendeva le robo pro solmente vinti euros!
She got the dress for only twenty euros!
(+ infinitive) to, in order to (expressing the intended purpose of an action)
Io vole cantar pro facer te retornar.
I want to sing to make you return.

Italian

Etymology 1

From Latin prō (“for, on behalf of”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈprɔ/^°, /pro/^° (preposition)
- Rhymes: -ɔ, -o
- Hyphenation: prò, pro
IPA^(key): /ˈprɔ/^* (noun)
- Rhymes: -ɔ
- Hyphenation: prò
The preposition does not trigger syntactic gemination in the following word, but the noun does.

Preposition

pro

(archaic) for, in favor of/in favour of

Related terms

pro capite (pro-capite, procapite)

Noun

pro m (invariable)

(dated) good, benefit, advantage, weal
- 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno, Le Monnier (1994), Canto II, p. 29, vv. 109-111:
  Al mondo non fur mai persone ratte ¶ a far lor pro o a fuggir lor danno, ¶ com'io, dopo cotai parole fatte.
  Never were persons in the world so swift ¶ to work their weal and to escape their woe, ¶ as I, after such words as these were uttered.
pro (as in English “pros and cons”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English pro.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈprɔ/^*
Rhymes: -ɔ
Hyphenation: prò

Noun

pro m (invariable)

(slang) pro

Ladin

Noun

pro m (plural pro)

good; benefit; advantage

Latin

Alternative forms

ꝓ (abbreviation, medieval)

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *pro-, from Proto-Indo-European *pro-, o-grade of *per-.[1]

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /proː/, [proː]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /pro/, [prɔː]

Preposition

prō (+ ablative, accusative) (accusative in Late Latin)

for
on behalf of, in the interest of, for the sake of
- 6th century BC, Tibur pedestal inscription (CIL I² 2658; image (page 18)):
  𐌇𐌏𐌉𐌌𐌄𐌃𐌌𐌉𐌕𐌀𐌕𐌊𐌀𐌖𐌉𐌏𐌔[…]𐌌𐌏𐌍𐌉𐌏𐌔𐌒𐌄𐌕𐌉𐌏𐌔𐌃[𐌏]𐌍𐌏𐌌𐌐𐌓𐌏𐌅𐌉𐌋𐌄𐌏𐌃
  HOIMEDMITATKAVIOS[…]MONIOSQETIOSD[O]NOMPROFILEOD
  Hoi mēd mitāt Kāvios […]monios Qetios d[ō]nom prō fileōd.
  Kavios […]monios Qetios places me here as a gift on behalf of his son.
before, in front of
instead of
about
according to
as, like
- Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita I, 14:
  pro nuntio fuit
  This was like an alarm
as befitting

Derived terms

mōs prō lēge (literally “custom for law”)
pars prō tōtō (literally “part for the whole”)
prō fōrmā (literally “for (the sake of) form”)
prōnus
prope
prō rata
prō salūte Imperātōris
prō tantō
prōtinus
quid prō quō
semel prō semper (“once and for all”)

Descendants

Late Latin: pōr (see there for further descendants)
Sardinian: pro, po
→ English: pro
→ German: pro
→ Portuguese: pró

References

“pro”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“pro”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
pro in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
pro in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to make up, stir up a fire: ignem excitare (pro Mur. 25. 51)
- as well as I can; to the best of my ability: pro viribus or pro mea parte
- as well as I can; to the best of my ability: pro virili parte (cf. sect. V. 22.)
- to die for one's country: mortem occumbere pro patria
- to shed one's blood for one's fatherland: sanguinem suum pro patria effundere or profundere
- to sacrifice oneself for one's country: vitam profundere pro patria
- to sacrifice oneself for one's country: se morti offerre pro salute patriae
- according to circumstances: pro re (nata), pro tempore
- according to circumstances: pro tempore et pro re
- to avoid no risk in order to..: nullum periculum recusare pro
- to show gratitude (in one's acts): gratiam alicui referre (meritam, debitam) pro aliqua re
- to thank a person (in words): gratias alicui agere pro aliqua re
- to return good for evil: pro maleficiis beneficia reddere
- according to a man's deserts: ex, pro merito
- to strain every nerve, do one's utmost in a matter: pro viribus eniti et laborare, ut
- this much I can vouch for: illud pro certo affirmare licet
- to quote an argument in favour of immortality: argumentum immortalitatis afferre (not pro)
- this goes to prove what I say: hoc est a (pro) me
- the matter speaks for itself: res ipsa (pro me apud te) loquitur
- to translate literally, word for word (not verbo tenus): verbum pro verbo reddere
- to be security for some one: sponsionem facere, sponsorem esse pro aliquo
- to revenge oneself on another for a thing or on some one's behalf: ulcisci aliquem pro aliquo or pro aliqua re
- to give some one satisfaction for an injury: satisfacere alicui pro (de) iniuriis
- to tell lies: falsa (pro veris) dicere
- a religious war: bellum pro religionibus susceptum
- to sacrifice human victims: pro victimis homines immolare
- to fight for hearth and home: pro aris et focis pugnare, certare, dimicare
- to support a bill (before the people): pro lege dicere
- to go to Cilicia as pro-consul: pro consule in Ciliciam proficisci
- to give evidence on some one's behalf: testimonium dicere pro aliquo
- to state as evidence: pro testimonio dicere
- to defend a person: causam dicere pro aliquo
- to punish some one: ulcisci aliquem (pro aliqua re)
- to be on duty before the gates: stationes agere pro portis
pro in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “pro-”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Latin.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pʀoː/
- Rhymes: -oː

Preposition

pro

per

Middle English

Etymology

From Latin prō.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /prɔː/

Noun

pro

(Late Middle English, rare) advantage, benefit, upside

Descendants

English: pro

References

“prō, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-07-10.

Occitan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pru/
Audio (file)

Preposition

pro

enough
N'i a pro. - There is enough (of it).
quite
Una rauba pro polida. - A quite pretty dress.

Old French

Preposition

pro

(very early Old French) Alternative form of por

Etymology 2

From Late Latin prōde. Doublet of preu.

Alternative forms

prut
prod
preu
prou

Noun

pro m (nominative singular pro)

profit, advantage
- ca. 1050, Vie de Saint Alexis :
  Bons fut li sècles al tens ancienur, si ert créḍance, dunt or n'i a nul prut. Tut est muḍez, perdut aḍ sa colur.
  Good was the time of the ancients, as there was trust, in which nowadays there is no profit. Everything has changed and has lost its color.
- 11th century, Chanson de Roland, 221-222 :
  E dist al Rei : « Ja mar crerez bricun, / Ne mei ne altre, se de vostre prod nun. [...] »
  (Ganelon speaks to Charlemaigne) And he said to the king, "You should never believe a madman: [believe] neither me nor anyone else, unless it is of your advantage. [...]"

Descendants

French: prou (in the idiom peu ou prou)

Old Spanish

Etymology

From Late Latin prōde (“useful”), perhaps via Old Occitan pro.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈpɾo/

Noun

pro f (usually uncountable)

usefulness, advantage, benefit
- c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 5v.
  Andat ¬ matemoſle. Echemoſle en aq́l pozo. E ueremos que prol aura so suenno. […]
  “Go and let us kill him. Let us throw him into that pit, and we shall see of what use his dream is to him! […] ”
- 1140 – 1207, Anonymous, Cantar de mio Cid 1374:
  Bien casariemos con sus fijas pora huebos de pro
  We would do well marrying his daughters, out of need for [our own] benefit.
- 1140 – 1207, Anonymous, Cantar de mío Cid 1913:
  Andar le qⁱero amyo çid en toda pro
  I want to always support the Cid.
  (literally, “I want to walk for my Cid in every advantage.”)

Related terms

por

Portuguese

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pɾu/

Contraction

pro (feminine pra, masculine plural pros, feminine plural pras)

(Brazil, nonstandard, colloquial) Contraction of para o (“for/to the (masculine singular)”).

Sardinian

Alternative forms

po (Campidanese)

Etymology

From Latin pro.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /pro/

Preposition

pro

for

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈpɾo/ [ˈpɾo]
Rhymes: -o
Syllabification: pro

Etymology 1

A recent Latinism, borrowed from Latin prō; see above. Doublet of por.

Preposition

pro

pro, in favor of, for

Usage notes

Equivalent to, and often replaced with, en pro de (see en, de) or a favor de (see a, favor).

Etymology 2

A very recent anglicism, borrowed from English pro.

Noun

pro m or f (plural pros)

pro (professional)
Ella es toda una pro.
She's a real pro.

Adjective

pro (plural pro or pros)

pro (professional)
Los atletas pro llegaron ayer, los otros vienen hoy.
The pro athletes arrived yesterday, the rest are coming today.
- 2016, Club de la Lucha, 2016-01-12 Entrevista The Fight Cub Torre Del Mar:https://www.clubdelalucha.es/blog/entrevistas/entrevista-the-fight-cub-torre-del-mar
  Hemos tenido luchadores pro y neo pero en este momento no están activos.
  We've had pro and newbie fighters, but right now they're not active.

Volapük

Preposition

pro

for

[1] Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “pro-”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

pro

Translingual

Etymology

Symbol

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Preposition

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

Etymology 3

Noun

Etymology 4

Noun

References

Anagrams

Catalan

Noun

Preposition

Chinese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Czech

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Preposition

Noun

Further reading

Esperanto

Pronunciation

Preposition

See also

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Noun

Further reading

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Preposition

Usage notes

Derived terms

Further reading

Ido

Preposition

Indonesian

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Etymology 2

Noun

Further reading

Interlingua

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Preposition

Italian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Preposition

Related terms

Noun

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Ladin

Noun

Latin

Alternative forms