To be progressive means to favor or promote progress, reform, and improvement, often in social, political, or economic contexts. It involves advocating for change and actively working toward new ideas, policies, or methods that aim to advance society or conditions. Progressives typically support government intervention or active roles in addressing inequalities and promoting social welfare, and they tend to emphasize action toward reform even when it may be inconvenient or disruptive.

Political and Social Meaning

In politics, being progressive often means supporting reforms that challenge the status quo to create a more just and equitable society. This can include advocating for economic equality, climate action, racial justice, healthcare as a human right, and other social reforms. Progressivism emerged historically as a movement to address societal issues brought on by industrialization and has evolved to encompass a broad range of social liberal and democratic ideas today.

Broader Usage

Beyond politics, "progressive" can describe attitudes and approaches that embrace new and modern ideas, continuous improvement, and gradual development or advancement. For example, progressive education practices emphasize individualized learning and self-expression, and progressive taxes increase rates as income grows.

Summary

Being progressive fundamentally means embracing and pushing for forward movement and improvement, often through active engagement and reform-minded policies to create better social, political, or economic conditions.