proactive

Meaning

Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty

Synonyms

active

aggressive

anticipatory

assertive

energetic

positive

precursory

prevenient

Translations

proactif

proaktiv

proattivo

proativo

proactief

actif

positiv

προενεργός

dynamique

entreprenant

positif

agressivo

ativo

previdente

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pɹəʊˈæk.tɪv/

Etymology

From pro- + active; originally coined 1933 by Paul Whiteley and Gerald Blankfort in a psychology paper, used in technical sense. Used in a popular context and sense (courage, perseverance) in 1946 book Man’s Search for Meaning by neuropsychiatrist Viktor Emil Frankl, in the context of dealing with the Holocaust, as contrast with reactive.