pro-¹

Favour or support; forwards, out, or away; substitute or deputy.

Latin pro, forward, in front of, on behalf of, instead of, on account of.

Modern examples in which it has the sense of favouring or supporting include pro-choice, advocating the legal right of a woman to choose whether or not she will have an abortion; pro-European, favouring or supporting closer links with the European Union.

Words in which it has a sense of motion forwards, out, or away include proceed (Latin procedere, from cedere, go); propel (Latin propellere, from pellere, to drive); and prostrate (Latin prostratus, thrown down, from sternere, lay flat).

In a few words it has the sense of something acting as a substitute or deputy: proconsul (Latin pro consule, (one acting) for the consul), a governor of a province in ancient Rome, having much of the authority of a consul; pro-vice-chancellor, an assistant or deputy vice-chancellor of a university; procaine, a synthetic compound used as a local anaesthetic, especially in dentistry, named because it was a substitute for cocaine.

Other examples imported from Latin include profane (Latin profanus, outside the temple, not sacred, from fanum, temple); prohibit (Latin prohibere, keep in check, from habere, to hold); promise (Latin promittere, put forth, promise, from mittere, send); prospect (Latin prospicere, look forward, from specere, to look); and proverb (Latin proverbium, from verbum, word).

See also pur‑.