proactive

The definition of proactive is someone who takes an active role in dealing with something before it needs to be taken care of.

(adjective)

An example of proactive is a student studying for a fall semester class during their summer vacation.

See proactive in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

assuming an active, rather than passive, role in doing, accomplishing, etc.; taking the initiative: a proactive approach to fighting drug abuse

Origin: pro- + -active, as in reactive

adjective

Psychol. relating to or caused by previously learned behavior, habits, etc.: proactive inhibition

Origin: pro- + -active, as in retroactive

See proactive in American Heritage Dictionary 4

or pro-ac·tive

adjective

Acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty; anticipatory: proactive steps to prevent terrorism.

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