proactive

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /pɹəʊˈæk.tɪv/ (US) IPA(key): /pɹoʊˈæk.tɪv/ Rhymes: -æktɪv === Adjective === proactive (comparative more proactive, superlative most proactive) Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty. ==== Usage notes ==== Some consider proactive to be a buzzword, and it is associated with business-speak. Depending on use, alternatives include active, preemptive, or “show initiative” instead of “be proactive”. ==== Synonyms ==== anticipatory forward-looking ==== Antonyms ==== reactive ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== preactive proact proactor ==== Translations ==== === References === The Word Detective, Issue of February 5, 2001 == French == === Adjective === proactive feminine singular of proactif