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Synonyms

prompter

American  
[promp-ter] / ˈprɒmp tər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that prompts.

  2. Theater. a person who is offstage and follows a play in progress from the book, repeating missed cues and supplying actors with forgotten lines.

  3. an electronic or mechanical device for prompting a speaker or performer.

prompter British  
/ ˈprɒmptə /

noun

  1. a person offstage who reminds the actors of forgotten lines or cues

  2. a person, thing, etc, that prompts

"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

Other Word Forms

  • underprompter noun

Etymology

Origin of prompter

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; prompt, -er 1

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.

The prompter is his devoted executive officer, Maj.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2024

Those accounts accused Harris of making use of the prompter to answer questions from the audience, asked in English and Spanish, causing Univision producers to set the record straight late Thursday night.

From Salon • Oct. 11, 2024

I'd like to see how she performs more off the cuff and without an ability to read from the prompter.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2024

Then, reading off a prompter in the back of the room, Biden turned his attention to the first soccer player honored as a Medal of Freedom recipient.

From Washington Post • Jul. 7, 2022

A few illustrations will suffice: A man in public company wishing to give utterance to some particular opinion or sentiment, invariably finds the pipe or the pinch the best prompter.

From Nicotiana Or The Smoker's and Snuff-Taker's Companion by Meller, Henry James

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.