"to make tense," 1670s, from tense (adj.); intransitive sense of "to become tense" (often tense up) is recorded from 1946. Related: Tensed; tensing.
c. 1600, "characterized by advancement, going forward, moving onward" (in action, character, etc.), from progress (n.) + -ive, or else from French progressif, from past participle stem of Latin progredi. Specifically of taxation, from 1889. From the notion of "using one's efforts toward advancement or improvement" comes the meaning "characterized by striving for change and innovation, avant-garde, liberal" (in arts, etc.), from 1908; of jazz, from 1947.
In the socio-political sense "favoring reform; radically liberal" it emerged in various British contexts from the 1880s; in the U.S. it was given to a movement active in the 1890s and a generation thereafter, the name being taken again from time to time, most recently by some more liberal Democrats and other social activists, by c. 2000.
The noun in the sense "one who favors, promotes, or commends social and political change in the name of progress" is attested by 1865 (originally in Christianity). Earlier in a like sense were progressionist (1849, adjective; 1884, noun), progressist (1848). Related: Progressively; progressiveness.
"stretched tight," 1660s, from Latin tensus, past participle of tendere "to stretch, extend" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"). Figurative sense of "in a state of nervous tension" is first recorded 1821. Related: Tensely; tenseness.
"form of a verb showing time of an action or state," early 14c., tens "time," also "tense of a verb" (late 14c.), from Old French tens "time, period of time, era; occasion, opportunity; weather" (11c., Modern French temps), from Latin tempus "a portion of time" (also source of Spanish tiempo, Italian tempo; see temporal).
late 14c., "that is yet to be; pertaining to a time after the present," from Old French futur "future, to come" (13c.), from Latin futurus "going to be, yet to be," as a noun, "the future," irregular suppletive future participle of esse "to be," from PIE root *bheue- "to be, exist, grow." In grammar, of tense, from 1520s.
"future events; time to come," late 14c., modeled on Latin futura, neuter plural of futurus (see future (adj.)).
an auxiliary verb in future indicative, now archaic or dialectal, "shall, will," late 12c., from Old Norse monu, a future tense auxiliary verb ultimately meaning "to intend," ultimately from the PIE root *men- (1) "to think."
"principles of a progressive; advocacy or progress or reform," 1855, from progressive + -ism. From 1892 in the political sense.
1752, supposedly a facetious formation from gaze + -bo, Latin first person singular future tense suffix (as in videbo "I shall see"), on model of earlier belvedere "cupola," from Italian, literally "a fair sight." But according to OED perhaps rather a corruption of some oriental word.
