proactive
Acting in advance to deal with expected situations
Examples
In a meeting
“We need to be more proactive about customer complaints.”
Over coffee
“I'm trying to be proactive about my health by exercising regularly.”
Why this word
anticipatory
proactive emphasizes taking action before problems arise, while anticipatory only suggests awareness without the action component
prepared
proactive implies initiating action to prevent issues, while prepared suggests readiness to react when something happens
preventive
proactive includes initiative and forward-thinking beyond just prevention, while preventive is narrower in scope
Usage tip
Use to describe anticipatory action rather than reactive responses; shows initiative and forward-thinking
Etymology
Latin: pro- (forward, before) + active (from agere, to do)
Get a new word every morning
One precise word per day. Under 60 seconds to read. Free forever.
Related words
delegate
To assign a task or responsibility to someone else.
anticipate
To expect or predict something and prepare for it accordingly.
preempt
Take action to prevent something before it happens
initiative
A new plan or action taken to achieve something
tentative
Not certain or fixed; provisional
sequence
To arrange things in a specific logical order