Both Uses of

progressive
in
Unbroken, by Hillenbrand

In the early months of 1940, in a series of eastern indoor miles against the best runners in America, he was magnificent, taking two seconds and two close fourths, twice beating Cunningham, and getting progressively faster.
p. 42.4

progressively = increasingly

A few minutes later, someone noticed that the engines on one side were burning more fuel than those on the other, making one side progressively lighter.
p. 117.5 *

Definitions:

(1) (progressive as in: progressive decline)
gradually advancing or becoming more severe
(2) (progressive as in: progressive ideas)
of new ideas intended to make things better; or a person favoring such ideas

or (in politics):

progress based on relatively more confidence that changes to institutions will go well (In the U.S., progressives are likely to vote for the Democratic party; though many Democrats do not consider themselves progressives.)
(3) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

Progressive tax refers to a system of taxation in which the percent of income taxed increases with higher income. The terms, progressive education or progressive school are sometimes used to refer to more modern educational techniques such as stressing experience and self-expression over rote learning. In 1924, there was a political party in the United States called the Progressive Party. For other more specialized senses (including meanings related to eyeglass lenses, music, and grammar), see a comprehensive dictionary or Wikipedia.