: in a proactive manner : in a way that anticipates future problems, needs, or changes
Leaders … can predict potential team challenges and address them proactively.Jimi Gibson
… a system that allows us to alert customers if there's an issue with travel, whether their flight is delayed or proactively letting them know there is a transit strike in New York, or whatever.Steven Barnhart
By working proactively with charter organizations and other outside groups, district leaders could take a role in shaping the array of new alternative schools so that it benefits students most …Los Angeles Times

Examples of proactively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Career success is supposed to come from proactively moving to wherever your services would be most valuable. Matthew Bidwell, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 Ultimately, leadership capacity is proactively built through deliberate physical and psychological conditioning, ensuring leaders are prepared for high-stakes challenges. Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 This tool can also proactively surface the right creators at the right time. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 Lab testing has become a tool allowing businesses to more proactively address the new challenges of supply chains. Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for proactively

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of proactively was in 1961

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Cite this Entry

“Proactively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proactively. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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