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Synonyms

prom

1 American  
[prom] / prɒm /

noun

  1. a formal dance, especially one held by a high school or college class at the end of an academic year.

PROM 2 American  
[prom] / prɒm /

noun

Computers.

  1. a memory chip whose contents can be programmed by a user or manufacturer for a specific purpose.

prom. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. promontory.

prom 1 British  
/ prɒm /

noun

  1. short for promenade promenade concert

  2. informal short for promenade

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
PROM 2 British  
/ prɒm /

acronym

  1. programmable read only memory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of prom1

1890–95, short for promenade

Origin of PROM2

p(rogrammable) r(ead)-o(nly) m(emory)

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.

A mother of twin girls who was left shocked by the price of prom dresses has started a boutique where outfits and suits can be hired for free.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

The severity of seemingly mundane, everyday anxieties — school bullies, the prom, graduation, obnoxious Cher-obsessed college roommates — is on par with demons trying to hasten the apocalypse.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

These days, she keeps "prom books" and has a policy of one of each dress per school.

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

I’d missed out on all the social experiences of high school, and even though Adria kept joking that I could be her date for prom, it would never be the same as attending my own.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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.