prōfĭcĭo, fēci, fectum, 3, v. n and a. [pro-facio], to go forward, advance, gain ground, make progress.
I Lit. (very rare): cum quinqueremis sola non proficeret, Plin. 32, 1, 1, § 4.—
II Trop., to go on , advance , make progress; to profit , derive advantage; to perform , effect , accomplish , obtain , etc. (class.; cf. procedo).
A Of persons: si nihil in oppugnatione oppidi profecisset, Caes. B. G. 7, 20: ubi diligentiā nostrorum nihil his rebus profici posse intellexerunt, id. ib. 3, 21: plus multitudine telorum, id. ib. 7, 82: loci opportunitate, id. B. C. 3, 23: antesignani tantum profecere, ut pellerent omnes, id. ib. 3, 75: multum profecit, Nep. Eum. 10, 1: si modo in philosophiā aliquid profecimus, have made any progress , Cic. Off. 3, 8, 37: ea, id. de Or. 2, 21 fin. —Of the sick, to get better : si quidquam profecerint, Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 10, 71; proficiens aegrotus, id. ib. 2, 11, 81—
B Of inanim. subjects, to grow , increase (mostly post-Aug.): id (vitis genus) quod umore proficit, Col. 3, 20: proficiente pretio, rising , Plin. 14, 4, 6, § 57.—In pass. : sed etiam ad summam profectum aliquid puto, Cic. Att. 7, 13, 1: postquam nihil proficiebatur, Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 122.—In a bad sense: proficere in pejus, to become worse and worse , Vulg. 2 Tim. 3, 13.—
2 In partic., to be useful , serviceable , advantageous , etc., to effect , accomplish; to help , tend , contribute , conduce (class.; cf. prosum) ea suo quaeque loco, ubi plurimum proficere et valere possent, collocabat, Cic. Brut. 37, 139: nulla res tantum ad dicendum proficit, quantum scriptio, id. ib. 24, 92; Liv. 3, 61: profectura aliquid tum tua verba puta, Ov. P. 3, 1, 138: aut nihil in melius tot rerum proficit usus? Juv. 13, 18.—Of remedies: radice vel herbā Proficiente nihil, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 150; nec alia res celerius proficit, is of service , Plin. 27, 11, 72, § 96: axungia proficit ad strumas, id. 28, 9, 37, § 140; pirorum ligni cinis contra fungos efficacius proficit, id. 23, 7, 62, § 116: radix anethi vel in febribus proficit, id. 20, 23, 98, § 260.— Impers. : multum proficiet illud demonstrare, quemadmodum scripsisset, Cic. Inv. 2, 41, 120.
VI —Hence, prōfĭcĭenter , adv., successfully (eccl. Lat.), Aug Ep. 80: incedere, Hil. Trin. 1, 22; Cassiod in Psa. 133, 2.