Latin Love: Grad-, Gress-, meaning "to step"

Because pro- means forward or first (produce, propel, provide), progress has to do with stepping forward.
When something is progressive, it keeps moving forward in a steady, step-by-step progression.

Because di- means two (divide, divert, different), when we talk about someone digressing, we mean that they are stepping away from one topic, and into a second one, usually something more intesting to them. Some students love it when teachers digress; others prefer that they focus on the topic. But many teachers, although they appear to be stepping away from the topic, are only trying to tell a little story that actually is relevant, and they will trace their steps back to the topic eventually.

Because re- means back (rewind, reread, rehearse), to regress is to step backward. Many common words begin with the prefix -re, such as rewind, reread, replace. Regress and progress are opposites. While the words recede and degrade have similar meanings, the word regress is usually used in the medical and psychological fields, to refer to patients whose conditions are slipping back to a previous stage, after having made some progress.

Because trans- means across (transit, transact, transportation), a transgression is a stepping across acceptable boundaries of behavior. A misdemeanor is a mild transgression; a felony, a serious one. The word transgression is often used in a religious context, referring to sin.

Because de- means down (descend, decide, detention), degradation means the act of taking a step down, falling apart, becoming less worthy. Things get degraded by time and use, especially careless use. People get degraded by mistreatment.

Because bio- means life (biology, biography, autobiography) , if something is biodegradable, it is capable of being broken down (degraded) into another life form. This degradation usually happens gradually, as, step by step, a banana peel, for example, if you drop it on your lawn, disappears into the ground or is eaten by an animal.

Because a- means on or forward (annotate, approach, arise), an aggressive person is stepping forward, but usually in a domineering way. The aggressor in a fight is the one who started it.

When we go up or down in space from any flat surface, the steepness of the rise or fall is known as the gradient. As you walk step by step up a steep gradient, you need to exert more effort.

In some systems, such as the military, gradations are sharply marked: Everyone knows the amount of power and responsibility everyone has, based on their rank. In systems of nature, however, gradations may be subtle: The transition from one color to another within a rainbow is not clear, so you cannot determine when you have definitely stepped out of red and into orange.

Because e- means out (exit, extract, edit) egress means exit, a way to step out. We usually just use the word exit.