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
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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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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.
"These findings highlight a potential dose-dependent safety concern that warrants urgent prospective evaluation to guide prescribing and regulatory policy."
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
Reports that the large-format cinema operator is up for sale have sent its stock soaring and analysts predicting interest from a wide range of prospective buyers — from tech and media companies to sovereign-wealth funds.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Each employee interacts with each of nine prospective job applicants at a professional event, and later makes referrals based on the social connections they form.
From Slate • May 22, 2026
“An increase in applications for adjustable-rate mortgages to the highest level since October 2025 signals that prospective buyers are seeking lower monthly payments as rates remain elevated,” he said.
From Barron's • May 21, 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.
