What does "prospective" mean?
The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.
Prospective
/pɹəˈspɛktɪv/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.
- Grammar: prospective is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: anticipated, anticipated, approaching, aspirant.
- Useful contrasts: certain, clinical historian, current.
- Usage evidence: The company invited their prospective customers to the party.
How to use "prospective"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "prospective" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "prospective" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "prospective" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "prospective" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "prospective" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anticipated" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "prospective", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect. obsolete
"the whole Scene of affairs was changed from Spain to France there now lay the prospective"
- 2 A perspective glass. obsolete
"[T]hey [two pavillions] were trimmed on the inside with rich armour and military furniture, hanged up as upon the walls; and behind the tents there were represented, in prospective, the tops of divers other tents, as if it had been a camp."
- 3 A prospective (potential) member, student, employee, date, partner, etc. informal, often, plural
"Would you like to show the prospective around?"
Adjective
- 1 Likely or expected to happen or become. not-comparable
"Prospective students are those who have already applied to the university, but have yet to be admitted."
- 2 Anticipated in the near or far future. not-comparable
"A short distance above I-ch’ang is the prospective site of a hydroelectric dam that has vast promise for the industrialization of central China."
- 3 Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect. not-comparable
"And in times long and dark Proſpective Glaſs / Fore-ſaw what future dayes ſhould bring to paſs,"
- 4 Looking forward in time; acting with foresight. not-comparable
"1668-1690, Josiah Child, A new discourse of trade The French king, and the king of Sweden are […] circumspect, industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair."
- 5 Being a study that starts with the present situation and follows participants into the future not-comparable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Indicating grammatically an activity about to begin. not-comparable
"What some other languages convey with prospective aspect, English conveys with expressions like going to drive the car home."
Adjective
- 1 of or concerned with or related to the future wordnet
Example
"The company invited their prospective customers to the party."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "prospective"?
Common synonyms include: anticipated, anticipated, approaching, aspirant, awaited, burgeoning.
How do you use "prospective" in a sentence?
The company invited their prospective customers to the party.
How do you pronounce "prospective"?
Pronounced /pɹəˈspɛktɪv/.
Etymology
From Middle French prospectif, from Late Latin prospectivus. See more at English prospect.