# pro
## 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: /pɹəʊ/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (General American) IPA: /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
#### Preposition

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

##### Translations
### 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

* gold pro
* pro-am
* pro move
* pro shop

##### Translations
#### Adjective

pro (comparative more pro, superlative most pro)
* Professional.
    He landed a pro mentorship gig.

##### Derived terms

* pro wrestling

### 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.

##### Derived terms

* pro skirt

### Etymology 4

Clipping of proproctor

#### Noun

pro (plural pros)
* (UK, slang, archaic) A proproctor.

##### References

* John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary

### Etymology 5

Clipping of prophylaxis.

#### Noun

pro (plural pros)
* (slang, historical) A chemical prophylaxis taken after sex to avoid contracting venereal disease.

### See also

* civ pro
* co-pro
* in dubio pro reo
* nunc pro tunc
* per pro
* pro bono
* pro confesso
* pro domino
* pro eo quod
* pro hac vice
* pro hoc vice
* pro indiviso
* pro memoria
* pro nav
* pro parte
* pro per
* pro re nata
* pro se
* pro tem
* pro tempore
* pro time
* pro tip
* quo pro quid
* sic pro

### Anagrams

* RPO, opr., ROP, orp, OPr., POR

## Catalan
### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ˈpɾɔ]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˈpɾo]

### Noun

pro m (plural pros)
* pro; benefit; bonus

### Preposition

pro
* pro, for; in favour of

## Chinese
### Etymology

From clipping of English professional.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pʰou̯²²/, /pʰɹou̯²²/

### Adjective

pro
* (Hong Kong Cantonese) professional

#### Synonyms

* 專業／专业 (zhuānyè)

### See also

* 傾pro／倾pro (“to discuss a school project”)

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈpro]
* Audio:(file)

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Czech pro, from Proto-Slavic *pro.

#### Preposition

pro [with accusative]
* for
    Zabili ho pro peníze. ― They killed him for his money.

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

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

### Further reading

* “pro”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “pro”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
* “pro”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

## Esperanto
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)
* IPA: [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

#### See also

* per
* por

## Finnish
### Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Latin pro or Ancient Greek πρό (pró).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈproː/, [ˈpro̞ː]
* Rhymes: -oː
* Hyphenation: pro

#### Adverb

pro (not comparable) [with nominative]
* instead of, rather than
    Synonym: sijaan
    Sana taipuu kusi:kusen (pro "kusin").The word is inflected kusi:kusen (not "kusin").

#### References

* Ruppel, Klaas, editor (2021–2023), Suomen etymologinen sanakirja [Finnish Etymological Dictionary] (Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 72)‎ (in Finnish), Kotimaisten kielten keskus, →ISSN

#### Further reading

* “1. pro”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-01

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from English pro, from professional.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈproː/, [ˈpro̞ː]
* IPA: /ˈprou̯/, [ˈpro̞u̯]
* Rhymes: -oː

#### Adjective

pro (not comparable) (colloquial)
* skilled
    Synonym: taitava

##### Declension

Possessive forms of pro (Kotus type 21/rosé, no gradation) :
Rare. Only used with substantive adjectives. :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
proni
proni
accusative
nom.
proni
proni
gen.
proni
genitive
proni
proideni proitteni
partitive
protani
proitani
inessive
prossani
proissani
elative
prostani
proistani
illative
prohoni
proihini
adessive
prollani
proillani
ablative
proltani
proiltani
allative
prolleni
proilleni
essive
pronani
proinani
translative
prokseni
proikseni
abessive
prottani
proittani
instructive
comitative
—proineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
prosi
prosi
accusative
nom.
prosi
prosi
gen.
prosi
genitive
prosi
proidesi proittesi
partitive
protasi
proitasi
inessive
prossasi
proissasi
elative
prostasi
proistasi
illative
prohosi
proihisi
adessive
prollasi
proillasi
ablative
proltasi
proiltasi
allative
prollesi
proillesi
essive
pronasi
proinasi
translative
proksesi
proiksesi
abessive
prottasi
proittasi
instructive
comitative
—proinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
promme
promme
accusative
nom.
promme
promme
gen.
promme
genitive
promme
proidemme proittemme
partitive
protamme
proitamme
inessive
prossamme
proissamme
elative
prostamme
proistamme
illative
prohomme
proihimme
adessive
prollamme
proillamme
ablative
proltamme
proiltamme
allative
prollemme
proillemme
essive
pronamme
proinamme
translative
proksemme
proiksemme
abessive
prottamme
proittamme
instructive
comitative
—proinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pronne
pronne
accusative
nom.
pronne
pronne
gen.
pronne
genitive
pronne
proidenne proittenne
partitive
protanne
proitanne
inessive
prossanne
proissanne
elative
prostanne
proistanne
illative
prohonne
proihinne
adessive
prollanne
proillanne
ablative
proltanne
proiltanne
allative
prollenne
proillenne
essive
pronanne
proinanne
translative
proksenne
proiksenne
abessive
prottanne
proittanne
instructive
comitative
—proinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
pronsa
pronsa
accusative
nom.
pronsa
pronsa
gen.
pronsa
genitive
pronsa
proidensa proittensa
partitive
protaan protansa
proitaan proitansa
inessive
prossaan prossansa
proissaan proissansa
elative
prostaan prostansa
proistaan proistansa
illative
prohonsa
proihinsa
adessive
prollaan prollansa
proillaan proillansa
ablative
proltaan proltansa
proiltaan proiltansa
allative
prolleen prollensa
proilleen proillensa
essive
pronaan pronansa
proinaan proinansa
translative
prokseen proksensa
proikseen proiksensa
abessive
prottaan prottansa
proittaan proittansa
instructive
comitative
—proineen proinensa :

#### Further reading

* “2. pro”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-01

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pʁo/

### Etymology 1

Clipping of professionnel(le).

#### Adjective

pro (plural pros)
* (informal) professional
    Il est très pro.He's a real pro.

#### Noun

pro m or f by sense (plural pros)
* (informal) professional
    Elle est une vraie pro.She's a real pro.
* (informal) a whiz, someone who is very good at something
    Nous avons affaire à un pro !We're dealing with a pro!

#### Further reading

* “pro”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

### Etymology 2

From prochain.

#### Adjective

pro (plural pros)
* (informal) next
    la semaine pronext week

## German
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prō (“for”).

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Preposition

pro [with accusative or dative or nominative]
* per, each
    Synonyms: je, für
    Samt Mehrwertsteuer ergibt sich ein Kaufpreis von rund 30 Euro pro StückAfter 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, dative or nominative 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
** The accusative is the most prescriptive and most formal sounding case.
** The nominative is especially popular when a bare noun (i.e. without adjectives or other modifiers) follows the preposition:
    pro Mensch NOM >> pro Menschen ACC / DAT
    pro Kollege NOM >> pro Kollegen ACC / DAT
* 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

### Further reading

* “pro, je, zu, jeweils, für” in Duden online
* “pro, für, dafür” in Duden online
* “pro” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Ido
### Preposition

pro
* because of

## Indonesian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈpro]
* Hyphenation: pro

### Etymology 1

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 (plural pro-pro)
* Clipping of profesional (“professional”).

### Further reading

* “pro” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

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

#### Preposition

pro
* (dated) 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, published 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: /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 Latin)

### Etymology

From Proto-Italic *prō, from an innovative instrumental singular *próh₁ derived from Proto-Indo-European *pró (“toward”).
Use with accusative nouns is originally by analogy to ante, amplified in Late Latin due to the merger of other cases with the accusative.

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈproː/, [ˈproː]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈpro/, [ˈprɔː]

### Preposition

prō (+ ablative, accusative)
* for
* on behalf of, in the interest of, for the sake of
** 6th century BC, Tibur pedestal inscription (CIL I$^2$ 2658; image (page 18)):
    𐌇𐌏𐌉𐌌𐌄𐌃𐌌𐌉𐌕𐌀𐌕𐌊𐌀𐌖𐌉𐌏𐌔[…]𐌌𐌏𐌍𐌉𐌏𐌔𐌒𐌄𐌕𐌉𐌏𐌔𐌃[𐌏]𐌍𐌏𐌌𐌐𐌓𐌏𐌅𐌉𐌋𐌄𐌏𐌃HOIMEDMITATKAVIOS[…]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
** 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita I.14:pro nuntio fuitThis was like an alarm
* as befitting

#### Usage notes

* Use with the accusative is chiefly attested from Late Latin onwards.

#### 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”)
* prō rata
* prō salūte Imperātōris
* prō tantō
* prōnus
* prope
* prōtinus
* quid prō quō
* semel prō semper (“once and for all”)

#### Descendants

* Italian: pro
* Sardinian: pro, po
* ⇒ Late Latin: pōr (see there for further descendants)
* → English: pro
* → Finnish: pro
* → German: pro
* → Indonesian: 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 (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016

## Luxembourgish
### Etymology

From Latin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pʀoː/
** Rhymes: -oː

### Preposition

pro
* per

## Middle English
### Etymology

From Latin prō.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /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: /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
### Etymology 1
#### 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 oblique singular, 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: /ˈpɾo/

### Noun

pro f (usually uncountable)
* usefulness, advantage, benefit
** c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 5v:Andat ⁊ matemoſle. Echemoſle en aq̃l 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 proWe would do well marrying his daughters, out of need for [our own] benefit.
** 1140 – 1207, Anonymous, Cantar de mío Cid 1913:Andar le q$^i$ero amyo çid en toda proI want to always support the Cid.(literally, “I want to walk for my Cid in every advantage.”)

#### Related terms

* por

## Portuguese
### Alternative forms

* prò (pre-1990 spelling)
* pró (misspelling)

### Etymology

Contraction of pra o.

### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /pɾu/
* (Brazil) IPA: /pɾu/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /pɾo/
* (Portugal) IPA: /pɾɔ/
* Hyphenation: pro

### Contraction

pro (feminine pra, masculine plural pros, feminine plural pras)
* (colloquial) Contraction of pra o (“for/to the (masculine singular)”).
    Ana foi pros Estados Unidos, não foi?Ana went to the United States, didn't she?

## Sardinian
### Alternative forms

* po (Campidanese)

### Etymology

From Latin pro.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pro/

### Preposition

pro
* for

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈpɾo/ [ˈpɾo]
* Rhymes: -o
* Syllabification: pro

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Spanish pro, from Late Latin prōde (“useful”).

#### Noun

pro m (plural pros)
* usefulness, advantage, benefit

##### Derived terms

* pro and con

### Etymology 2

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 3

A very recent anglicism, borrowed from English pro.

#### Noun

pro m or f by sense (plural pros)
* pro (professional)
    Ella es toda una pro.She's a real pro.

#### Adjective

pro m or f (masculine and feminine 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-marHemos 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.

### Further reading

* “pro”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Volapük
### Preposition

pro
* for
** 1938, “Pö yelacen”, in Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, page 1:Yel epasetiköl no ebinon bönik pro muf obsik.The past year has not been favorable for our movement.
** 1938, “Ge lü Volapük!”, in Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, pages 17-19:If xamobs yufapükis dabinöl, täno mutobs dasevön, das ons valik jenöfo binons geboviks pro disein.If we examine the existing auxiliary languages, we must admit that they are all indeed useful for the purpose.