prom
1 Americannoun
noun
abbreviation
noun
-
short for promenade promenade concert
-
informal short for promenade
acronym
Etymology
Origin of prom1
1890–95, short for promenade
Origin of PROM2
p(rogrammable) r(ead)-o(nly) m(emory)
Explanation
A prom is a formal dance at the end of a school year. For many American high schools, the senior prom is a big deal. Kids get dressed up and then get embarrassed by parents who take too many photos. Students going to a prom will sometimes rent limousines to get there, and dress in fancy gowns and tuxedos. The prom itself is generally a much fancier version of a school dance, often held in a hotel or a gussied-up school gymnasium. The word dates from the late nineteenth century, an American English shortening of promenade, which means "to stroll," but also "to dance in couples with joined hands."
Vocabulary lists containing prom
"Fleeing Katrina"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kelechukwu Mpamaugo, a finalist in the graduate category, wore her high school prom dress.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
About 70 lavish dresses and tailored suits hang on rails, ready for this year's prom season.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
At just £12.95, this prom dress costs a fraction of the price being charged at some of the area's boutiques, where outfits can go for upwards of £1,000.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Her prom dreams inch closer as her lies begin to mount and her new alabaster skin starts peeling off at extremely inopportune moments.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
“So will you go to a nontraditional prom with me?”
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
