Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One who believes in or advocates progress in society or politics.
- noun One who maintains the doctrine that society is in a state of progress toward perfection, and that it will ultimately attain it.
- noun One who holds that the existing species of animals and plants were not originally created, but were gradually developed from one simple form.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun One who holds to a belief in the progression of society toward perfection.
- noun One who maintains the doctrine of progression in organic forms; -- opposed to
uniformitarian .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An advocate of
social progress , ideally towardsperfection - noun biology A person who holds that all life forms gradually
evolve to a higher form
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Even the venerable Rudolph Wagner, whom no man will accuse of progressionist proclivities, has raised his voice on the same side; while not a single anatomist, great or small, has supported Professor Owen.
Essays 2007
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Gophna et al. also cite for support the progressionist notion that evolution disfavors events such as the simplification of complex systems like the flagellum, a dubious proposition in modern evolutionary theory, especially considering the common evolutionary trend of simplification in pathogens and parasites.
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The astute Bismarck can not be suspected of being a progressionist in the modern sense but, being a product of German culture and philosophy, all his ideals were those of a strong state.
Manhood of Humanity. Alfred Korzybski 1914
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When they return to their tribes they have to doff European clothes, as, if they didn't, the medicine man would probably attribute the first misfortune that befell to his violation of the customs of his ancestors, which are more honored in the breech cloth than in the observance of pantaloons and paper collars, and a "settling" dose of poison would remove the progressionist.
The Liberian Exodus. An Account of Voyage of the First Emigrants in the Bark "Azor," and Their Reception at Monrovia, with a Description of Liberia--Its Customs and Civilization, Romances and Prospects. Alfred Brockenbrough Williams 1878
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Rudolph Wagner, whom no man will accuse of progressionist proclivities, has raised his voice on the same side; while not a single anatomist, great or small, has supported Professor Owen.
Lectures and Essays Thomas Henry Huxley 1860
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Rudolph Wagner, whom no man will accuse of progressionist proclivities, has raised his voice on the same side; while not a single anatomist, great or small, has supported Professor Owen.
On the Relations of Man to the Lower Animals Thomas Henry Huxley 1860
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If the less perfect ophidians, or snakes, which now abound on the earth had taken the lead in those ancient days among the land reptiles, and the Deinosaurians had been contemporary with Man, there can be no doubt that the progressionist would have seized upon this fact with unfeigned satisfaction as confirmatory of his views.
The Antiquity of Man Charles Lyell 1836
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Although von Baer was critical of the excesses of Naturphilosophie, Barry manages to give a firmly progressionist message, with Man prominently ensconced at the top.
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'playing' politics for a very long time: criticizing the law of the progressionist, serving as a ram for the Popular Party.
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