Progress

n.hopeful, capableregister not recorded

What it means

Forward movement toward a goal, improvement, or more developed condition.

Reach for it when naming verified advancement while leaving the remaining distance visible

The latest tests show real progress toward cleaner drinking water.

playful
headway
when visible gains follow resistance or difficulty
not when The idiom is informal and says little about the quality of the direction.
playful
strides
when substantial improvement deserves upbeat language
not when The stock phrase can hide uneven or unmeasured results.
everyday
forward movement
when plain language should emphasize direction
not when Movement toward the wrong goal is not meaningful progress.
everyday
improvement
when quality becomes better than before
not when Improvement can occur in one measure while the overall goal remains stalled.
warm
breakthrough
when one advance overcomes a major barrier
not when Breakthrough is too dramatic for steady incremental progress.
professional
advancement
when movement to a more developed stage is central
not when Advancement can mean promotion or status rather than broad improvement.
professional
development
when capability or complexity grows over time
not when Development can be neutral or harmful and is not always progress.
professional
gain
when a measurable positive change is reported
not when One gain may be temporary or offset elsewhere.
professional
momentum
when progress is continuing and becoming easier to sustain
not when Momentum is a rate or tendency, not the gains already achieved.

make progress
The group began to make progress once each unresolved decision had an owner.
steady progress
Steady progress continued even when no single week looked dramatic.
sign of progress
The shorter waiting time was a sign of progress, not proof of equal access.
measurable progress
The survey found measurable progress in water access across all five districts.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.