Meaning

noun gradual improvement or growth or development

noun the act of moving forward (as toward a goal)

noun a movement forward

originFrom Middle English progresse, from Old French progres (“a going forward”), from Latin prōgressus (“an advance”), from the participle stem of prōgredī (“to go forward, advance, develop”), from pro- (“forth, before”) + gradi (“to walk, go”). Displaced native Old English forþgang.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0