progression

progression — noun

1. the process of growing, changing, or moving forward step by step toward a more a

1.nounC1
Definition

the process of growing, changing, or moving forward step by step toward a more advanced or complete state

Example

Pedro's progression from beginner to fluent French speaker took three years.

progression from [X] to [Y] — shows the transition pattern

The doctor was pleased with the patient's steady progression after the surgery.

collocation: steady progression

Common collocations
  • steady progression
  • natural progression
  • career progression
  • progression from... to...
  • progression of [disease/technology]
Synonyms
  • progress

    more general term for forward movement; 'progression' emphasises distinct stages, while 'progress' can be more continuous

  • advancement

    more formal, often used for careers, technology, or social change

  • development

    broader term covering growth and maturation, not limited to forward motion

Antonyms
  • regression

    movement backward to an earlier, less advanced state

  • decline

    gradual loss of strength, quality, or importance

Grammar Patterns

progression + from + [noun] + to + [noun]

Usage Note

Frequently used with prepositions such as 'from…to…' or 'toward' to indicate the direction of change. Also commonly followed by 'of' + noun to specify what is progressing (e.g., progression of the disease, progression of technology).

Common Mistakes

His French progression was fast to improve.
His French improved rapidly over the course of the programme.
'progression' is a noun describing the process; do not use it as a verb or follow it with an infinitive.

2. the way chords (= groups of notes played together) move from one to the next wit

2.nounB2
Definition

the way chords (= groups of notes played together) move from one to the next within a musical composition, forming the harmonic backbone of the piece

Example

Mizuki learned a basic blues chord progression on the guitar in her first lesson.

chord progression — a sequence of chords in music

That jazz progression sounds complicated, but the pattern repeats every four bars.

Common collocations
  • chord progression
  • blues progression
  • jazz progression
  • four-chord progression
  • harmonic progression
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

chord progression + [preposition]

Usage Note

Nearly always paired with the word 'chord' — 'chord progression' is the standard term. The music sense is a countable noun and often modified by genre names (blues progression, jazz progression).

3. a number of related things that follow one after another in a particular order,

3.nounB2
Definition

a number of related things that follow one after another in a particular order, often showing a pattern or development

Example

The museum displayed a progression of paintings showing the artist's changing style.

a progression of [things] — a series in order

A progression of strange events led the detective to finally solve the case.

Common collocations
  • a progression of events
  • logical progression
  • a progression of reforms
  • a progression of [plural noun]
Synonyms
  • sequence

    more neutral term for items in order, without implying forward movement

  • series

    general term for a number of similar things one after another; less emphasis on connectedness

  • chain

    emphasises that each item is connected to the next, like links in a chain

Antonyms
  • disorder

    lack of order or arrangement

  • disarray

    a state of confusion and lack of organisation

Grammar Patterns

a progression + of + [plural noun]

Usage Note

Often followed by 'of' + noun phrase. Unlike sense 1 (DEVELOPMENT), this sense does not imply improvement or forward movement — it simply notes an ordered arrangement. The items in the series may be neutral or even negative (a progression of setbacks).

Common Mistakes

A progression of the accidents happened last week.
A progression of accidents happened last week.
no article 'the' after 'a progression of' before a general plural noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Progress, progression, advancement, development, and evolution all describe forward movement but differ in scope and emphasis. Progress is the broadest term for any gradual movement toward a goal (the patient's progress was slow but steady). Advancement highlights deliberate promotion to a higher level, especially in careers or technology (advancement in renewable energy). Development suggests a natural unfolding of potential through stages, often in living things or systems (child development, product development). Evolution implies slow, cumulative change over a long period, often with increasing complexity (the evolution of the smartphone). Progression, like development, emphasises step-by-step stages along a path, but with a stronger sense of structured forward movement (the progression from trainee to manager). Use progress for general forward motion; choose progression when you want to highlight a clear sequence of distinct stages.

progress ↗advancement ↗development ↗evolution ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a progression from... to...
  • rate of progression
  • stage of progression

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Progression comes from Latin 'progressio', meaning 'a going forward'. It is formed from 'pro-' ('forward') and 'gradi' ('to step, walk'), related to 'gradus' ('step'). The word entered English through Old French in the 15th century, initially describing forward physical movement. By the 16th century it was used for abstract development, and by the 18th century for musical chord sequences.