prospective

noun

(informal, often plural) A prospective (potential) member, student, employee, date, partner, etc.

(obsolete) The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.

(obsolete) A perspective glass.

adjective

Likely or expected to happen or become.

Anticipated in the near or far future.

Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect.

Looking forward in time; acting with foresight.

(medicine, of research) Being a study that starts with the present situation and follows participants into the future

(grammar) Indicating grammatically an activity about to begin.

Roots

propro- · Latin · forth, forward specio-spec · Latin · look, see

Synonyms for prospective

potentialadj futuren eventualadj

Synonyms & related words for prospective

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of prospective — including potential, future, eventual. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to prospective

Explore words related to prospective — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include prospects, prospected, futurity, prospecting, aspiring, feasibility, applicants, possibilities. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for prospective

Common synonyms for prospective include potential, future, eventual — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does prospective come from?

The word prospective breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: pro-, from Latin pro (“forth, forward”); and -spec, from Latin specio (“look, see”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.