prose

American  

[prohz] / proʊz /

noun

proses plural

1. the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.

2. matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.

3. Liturgy. a hymn sung after the gradual, originating from a practice of setting words to the jubilatio of the alleluia.

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adjective

1. of, in, or pertaining to prose.

2. commonplace; dull; prosaic.

verb (used with object)

proses, present (3rd person singular) prosed, past participle, past prosing present participle

1. to turn into or express in prose.

verb (used without object)

proses, present (3rd person singular) prosed, past participle, past prosing present participle

1. to write or talk in a dull, matter-of-fact manner.

prose British  

/ prəʊz /

noun

1. spoken or written language as in ordinary usage, distinguished from poetry by its lack of a marked metrical structure

2. a passage set for translation into a foreign language

3. commonplace or dull discourse, expression, etc

4. RC Church a hymn recited or sung after the gradual at Mass

5. (modifier) written in prose

6. (modifier) matter-of-fact

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verb

1. to write or say (something) in prose

2. (intr) to speak or write in a tedious style

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• proselike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• proses
  plural

Participles

• prosing
  present
• prosed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• prose
  simple
• proses
  simple
• have prosed
  perfect
• has prosed
  perfect
• am prosing
  progressive
• are prosing
  progressive
• is prosing
  progressive
• have been prosing
  perfect progressive
• has been prosing
  perfect progressive

Past

• prosed
  simple
• had prosed
  perfect
• was prosing
  progressive
• were prosing
  progressive
• had been prosing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will prose
  simple
• will have prosed
  perfect
• will be prosing
  progressive
• will have been prosing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of prose

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prōsa (ōrātiō), literally, “straightforward (speech),” feminine of prōsus, prōrsus, contraction of prōversus “turned forward,” past participle of prōvertere “to turn forward,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + vertere “to turn”

Explanation

Prose is so-called "ordinary writing" — made up of sentences and paragraphs, without any metrical (or rhyming) structure. If you write, "I walked about all alone over the hillsides," that's prose. If you say, "I wondered lonely as a cloud/that floats on high o'er vales and hills" that's poetry. See the difference? (Let's not get into prose poetry!) From prose we get the term prosaic, meaning "ordinary" or "commonplace," or lacking the specially delicacy and beauty of its supposed opposite — poetry.

Example Sentences

But his impenetrable prose -- used to avoid committing to any particular course -- and his confidence in unfettered markets and institutions to correct themselves frustrated critics, who believed the US economy needed stronger guardrails.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

Part of that building inspired the next generation of rappers to incorporate their love of other aspects of Asian pop culture, such as anime, into their prose and performance style.

From Salon • May 31, 2026

His writings may lack the poetic fluency of Thomas Jefferson’s, but his prose is always clear and direct.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Osgood wrote two-minute reports in succinct prose delivered in his mellifluous tones.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

In my first letter I had hoped to impress you with my brilliant prose, but that will have to wait for my second.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Related Words

• composition
• essay
• fiction
• nonfiction
• speech
• story
• text
• writing