Meaning & use
progression
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The process of moving forward or developing step by step toward a later stage.
Grammar: Often followed by of or from...to: the progression of a disease.
Patterns
- the progression of something
- progression from something to something
Doctors tracked the progression of the disease over several years.
There is a clear progression from simple songs to complex pieces.
His career progression was fast and steady.
nouncountable
A series of things that follow one another in a set order.
Grammar: Often a logical order: a progression of numbers.
Patterns
- a progression of something
The exhibition shows a progression of paintings from dark to bright.
The math puzzle used a progression of even numbers.
A progression of small changes led to the new design.
nouncountablemusictechnical
In music, a sequence of chords played one after another.
Grammar: Usually chord progression.
Patterns
- a chord progression
The song uses a simple chord progression that repeats.
She studied common jazz progressions.
The progression builds tension before the final note.
Word forms
| plural | progressions |
|---|
Common combinations
- chord progression
- The guitarist taught me a basic chord progression.
- career progression
- The company supports career progression for its staff.
- natural progression
- Moving into management was a natural progression.
- progression of the disease
- The new drug slows the progression of the disease.
- arithmetic progression
- The sequence 2, 4, 6, 8 is an arithmetic progression.
- gradual progression
- He noticed a gradual progression in her skills.
Synonyms and how they differ
- advance
- Advance stresses moving forward, often in a single step, whereas progression is a longer process.
- development
- Development is broader and can mean growth without a clear order of steps.
- sequence
- Sequence only means things coming in order, with no sense of improvement.
- evolution
- Evolution suggests slow, natural change over a long time.
Opposites
Word family
- progress noun
- forward movement or improvement
- progress verb
- to move forward or develop
- progressive adjective
- developing step by step, or favoring reform
- progressively adverb
- gradually, step by step
Commonly confused: progression or progress?
progression vs progress
Progress means improvement or forward movement in general; progression stresses the ordered steps of the process.
Practice
The musician explained the ___ of chords that makes the song feel hopeful.
Choose one answer.
A chord progression is a sequence of chords. Procession sounds similar but means a group moving in a line, like a parade.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “progression”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.