prospective
Americanadjective
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of or in the future.
prospective earnings.
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potential, likely, or expected.
a prospective partner.
adjective
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looking towards the future
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(prenominal) anticipated or likely
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of prospective
From the Late Latin word prōspectīvus, dating back to 1580–90. See prospectus, -ive
Explanation
If it's prospective, it hasn't happened yet. Prospective students are students who might attend a school in the future. If you visit any college campus, you’ll see prospective students checking out the library, the dorms, and athletic facilities. Prospective indicates that something is expected or likely to happen. If you’re contemplating your future, you might speak of your prospective career, your prospective spouse, or a prospective million-dollar offer to make a movie based on your fascinating life. However, avoid the common mistake of confusing prospective with perspective. Perspective, which can mean “a reasonable point of view,” is important when one wants to accurately assess prospective opportunities.
Vocabulary lists containing prospective
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Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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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.
Then they’ll go on a roadshow to meet prospective investors.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Almost all of SpaceX’s claimed TAM comes from its prospective AI business — the only one of its three business segments that has virtually no concrete achievements to claim.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
If successful, the prospective IPO could be one of Hong Kong’s biggest in recent years, though one of the people said the valuation could still change.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
He says this has enabled him to show prospective employers "young people can bring a fresh perspective, ask the questions others overlook and add real value even without a mountain of experience."
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
The really remarkable cases are those of prospective discovery, since they straightforwardly refute the claim that all discoveries are necessarily retrospective constructions.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
