pro-government
|pro-govern-ment|
🇺🇸
/proʊ-ˈɡʌvərnmənt/
🇬🇧
/prəʊ-ˈɡʌvənmənt/
for the government
Etymology
'pro-government' originates from the Latin prefix 'pro-' meaning 'for' and the noun 'government', which comes from Old French 'governement' and Latin 'gubernare' meaning 'to steer'.
'government' changed from Old French 'governement' and Middle English 'governement' and eventually became the modern English word 'government'. The compound 'pro-government' was formed in modern English by combining 'pro-' and 'government'.
Initially it literally meant 'for the government'; over time it evolved to mean 'supporting or backing the (current) government' in political contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
supporting or showing support for the government, especially the current or ruling government.
The newspaper took a pro-government stance during the crisis.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/14 08:53