pro and con
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
For and against. "Con" is a contraction of contra. The pros and cons of a matter is all that can be said for or against it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “pro and con” mean?
For and against. "Con" is a contraction of contra. The pros and cons of a matter is all that can be said for or against it.
Is “pro and con” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.