prom
noun
a formal dance, especially one held by a high school or college class at the end of an academic year.
prom
1 American
[prom]
/ prɒm /
noun
-
proms
plural
PROM
2
American
[prom]
/ prɒm /
noun
Computers.
prom.
3
American
abbreviation
prom
1
British
/ prɒm /
noun
-
short for promenade promenade concert
-
informal short for promenade
PROM
2
British
/ prɒm /
acronym
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for June 5–June 11, 2021
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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.
See Examples For:
Her prom dress was supposed to arrive the next day.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
It made up for missed teenage rites of passage — the senior prom, the homecoming dance, the debutante ball — by doubling down on sentimentality.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Plea to make prom postponed in heatwave 'magical'
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
But Colatarci’s sister, then a high-school senior, wasn’t incognito when she set out on a quest for a prom dress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Somehow despite all the sheepish grins and blushing and quiet crushing, Mike seized his moment and asked Violet to prom.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
“I’m super appreciative of every single activity that they are able to do, from grad night, to senior prom. All of it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
“Second of all I can’t take it anymore how much you are all missing your prom. So let’s do something about it! Let’s have an #SGNprom ! Yup, I’ll DJ with some friends on Friday.”
From Fox News ● Apr. 16, 2020
“I would have finished high school, gone to the prom. I wouldn’t have suffered the psychological impact of incarceration or the difficulties acclimating back to society.”
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2018
“I never went to a prom. I was taken out of school at age 13, and have no high school or college diplomas.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 20, 2017
“It’s not just that I don’t like prom. I also don’t like people who like prom,” I explained, although this was, in point of fact, untrue.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
The result: proms with Bentleys, five-figure watches and event planners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
The stores sell dresses for proms, special occasions and quinceañeras, a Latin American rite of passage celebrating a young girl’s 15th birthday and her transition to adulthood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Suri has previously built and scaled loyalty and rewards proms at companies like Under Armour and United Airlines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
The facilities also played host to local fundraisers, municipal government meetings, Altadena Rotary Club gatherings, high school proms and church events, among other things.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2025
In Phoenix, they held proms in hotel ballrooms.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
