pro
pro — noun
1. a good reason or benefit that makes you want to choose a particular option or co
a good reason or benefit that makes you want to choose a particular option or course of action.
Isabela weighed every pro before she agreed to the new job offer.
collocation: weighed every pro
One big pro of working from home is the shorter time spent travelling each day.
pattern: One big pro of [noun phrase] + is
Kofi listed all the pros of moving to a bigger apartment before making a decision.
The main pro of this phone is its long battery life.
- weigh the pros
- list the pros
- pros outweigh
- major pro
- main pro
Usage Note
Usually appears in the phrase 'the pros (and cons)' or paired with a count of advantages. Frequently found in decision-making contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. a person who gets paid to play a sport, rather than doing it just for enjoyment.
a person who gets paid to play a sport, rather than doing it just for enjoyment.
Haruto turned pro at eighteen and signed his first contract the same year.
pattern: turned pro (became a professional)
The tournament brings together the best pros from twenty different countries.
Anna trained alongside seasoned pros who had played in the national league for years.
collocation: seasoned pros
Many young athletes dream of playing as a pro for a top club one day.
- turn pro
- play as a pro
- seasoned pro
- sports pro
- golf pro
- professional
the full form of 'pro'; slightly more formal
- athlete
broader term — includes amateurs and non-paid players
- sportsperson
neutral gender term; less common in everyday speech
Usage Note
Commonly follows 'turn' ('turn pro' = begin a professional career) and 'play as'. Can also refer to professionals outside sports (e.g. 'a real estate pro'), though the sports sense is most frequent.
Common Mistakes
3. the favourable and unfavourable points connected with a choice that you are thin
the favourable and unfavourable points connected with a choice that you are thinking about.
Eleni wrote down the pros and cons of each house before making an offer.
pattern: wrote down the pros and cons of [noun]
Quan spent an hour listing the pros and cons of studying abroad next year.
Shirin advised the team to consider all the pros and cons before changing suppliers.
collocation: consider all the pros and cons
The pros of taking the train easily outweighed the cons of driving through heavy traffic.
- weigh the pros and cons
- list the pros and cons
- consider the pros and cons
- pros and cons of
- weigh up the pros and cons
- advantages and disadvantages
full formal equivalent; less punchy than 'pros and cons'
- for and against
used as an adjective phrase ('the for and against arguments')
- benefits and drawbacks
common alternative; slightly more formal
Usage Note
Nearly always appears as the fixed plural phrase 'the pros and cons'. Singular use ('a pro and a con') exists but is far less natural. The phrase can be followed by 'of + noun/gerund'.
Common Mistakes
the pros and cons
idiomThe good points and bad points of a situation or choice.
Maya listed the pros and cons of buying a new car.
Did you consider the pros and cons before moving to Japan?
pro — adjective
1. in agreement with a plan, idea, or action; supporting something.
in agreement with a plan, idea, or action; supporting something.
Sivan is very pro the new recycling programme at her school.
pattern: pro + noun phrase
Ramón described himself as pro change and eager to try fresh approaches.
Bao's family is pro the idea of studying a second language from an early age.
pattern: pro + noun phrase
The committee members who are pro the proposal spoke first at the meeting.
- pro the idea
- pro change
- pro the proposal
- strongly pro
- firmly pro
- in favour of
the full prepositional phrase; more formal than 'pro'
- supportive of
less common in this direct-attributive position; needs 'of'
- for
informal and very common in spoken English ('I'm for it')
Grammar Patterns
pro + noun phrase
Usage Note
Followed directly by a noun phrase without a preposition ('pro the plan', NOT 'pro of the plan'). Common in political or policy discussions. The opposite is 'anti'.
Common Mistakes
2. relating to a situation, team, or arrangement in which players are paid to take
relating to a situation, team, or arrangement in which players are paid to take part, rather than playing as amateurs.
Haruto signed with a pro team right after finishing high school.
collocation: pro team
The city built a new stadium to attract a pro basketball franchise.
Anna left her amateur club to join a pro league across the country.
collocation: pro league
Pro sports demand a level of dedication that few amateur players can maintain.
- pro team
- pro league
- pro sports
- pro athlete
- pro golf
- professional
the full form; used in both attributive and predicate positions
- paid
emphasises the financial aspect but less precise
- top-level
focuses on skill and status rather than payment arrangement
- amateur
the standard opposite; 'amateur league' vs 'pro league'
- recreational
emphasises playing for fun rather than money
Usage Note
Always appears before a noun (attributive position). The full form 'professional' is more formal and can appear in predicate position ('the league is professional').
Common Mistakes
❌ 'Pro' as a predicate adjective meaning professional ('This league is pro.') — this is rare and sounds unnatural; use 'professional' instead.
pro — prefix
1. added to the start of a noun or adjective to show support for a particular idea,
added to the start of a noun or adjective to show support for a particular idea, group, or cause.
The pro-democracy rally drew thousands of people to the city square.
example: pro-democracy
Several pro-education groups pushed for more funding in the new budget.
Kofi joined a pro-environment organisation that plants trees in urban areas.
example: pro-environment
The senator is known for her pro-business voting record over the past decade.
- pro-democracy
- pro-choice
- pro-life
- pro-government
- pro-business
- supporting
the full-word equivalent; requires 'of' ('supporting of the plan')
- in favour of
a phrase, not a prefix; used when you cannot attach 'pro-' to the word
Grammar Patterns
pro- + noun/adjective
Usage Note
Always attached with a hyphen when combined with a noun or adjective ('pro-choice', 'pro-government'). Used productively — you can create new combinations that are understood immediately.
Common Mistakes
pro — adverb
1. in a way that shows you agree with a suggestion, proposal, or idea in a formal d
in a way that shows you agree with a suggestion, proposal, or idea in a formal debate or vote.
The committee voted pro, and the new policy was adopted immediately.
register: formal voting context
Of the twelve board members who spoke, eight argued pro and four argued con.
The senator spoke pro on the floor, urging colleagues to support the bill.
pattern: spoke pro
The union delegates voted pro by a clear majority of two to one.
- argue pro
- vote pro
- speak pro
- pro or con
- in favour
the full adverbial phrase; more common in everyday and formal writing
- affirmatively
formal legal or parliamentary term
- positively
broader meaning; not restricted to voting
Usage Note
Restricted to formal or parliamentary contexts, especially voting and debate. Nearly always paired with 'con' as the opposite adverb. In everyday English, 'in favour' (UK) or 'in favor' (US) is much more common.
Common Mistakes
pro — preposition
1. used before a noun in certain fixed Latin-derived phrases to mean 'for the sake
used before a noun in certain fixed Latin-derived phrases to mean 'for the sake of', 'on behalf of', or 'in proportion to'.
The lawyer took the case pro bono, meaning she charged no fee for her work.
fixed phrase: pro bono
Rent is calculated pro rata based on how many days each tenant stays each month.
fixed phrase: pro rata
The dean appointed a colleague to serve pro tempore until the new elections.
fixed phrase: pro tempore (pro tem)
The company issued a pro forma invoice before the goods were shipped.
fixed phrase: pro forma
- pro bono
- pro rata
- pro tempore
- pro forma
Grammar Patterns
pro + noun
Usage Note
This is not a productive English preposition — it appears only in fixed Latin expressions that have been borrowed into English ('pro bono', 'pro rata', 'pro tempore', 'pro forma'). These phrases should be learned as whole units.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- pro-prefixB2
- pro-choiceadjectiveB2
- pro-democracyadjectiveB2
- pro bonoadverbC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
這四個詞都表達「好處」的概念，但在使用範圍和語氣上有所不同。Benefit 是最通用的詞，涵蓋任何形式的利益，例如醫療福利（health benefits）或運動的好處（the benefits of exercise）。Advantage 強調相對優勢，暗示與他人或他物比較後處於更有利的位置，例如競爭優勢（competitive advantage）。Plus 是較口語的說法，常用於列出優缺點的清單中，例如「這份工作薪水高，而且還有彈性工時這個 plus」。Perk 則特指工作或職位附帶的額外福利，例如公司配車或免費午餐。舉例來說：『The main benefit of this gym is its 24-hour access.』（着重好處本身）；『This gym has an advantage over others because it is cheaper.』（強調比較優勢）；『Free towels are a nice perk.』（指附加福利）。
Common collocations
Nouns
- pros and cons
- pro team
- pro league
Adverbs
- strongly pro
- firmly pro
- overwhelmingly pro
Phrases
- turn pro
- weigh the pros
- argue pro or con
- pro bono
- pro rata
Etymology
This word comes directly from Latin 'prō', meaning 'for, in front of, on behalf of'. It entered English as a standalone word during the 15th century, first used in the phrase 'pro and con' (short for Latin 'pro et contra', meaning 'for and against'). Over time, 'pro' developed into various parts of speech: as a noun meaning an advantage, as an adjective meaning supporting something, and as a prefix forming words like 'pro-choice'. The sense 'professional' emerged as an abbreviation in the 19th century.