# prospective

Pronunciation: US say "pruh-SPEK-tiv" /pɹəˈspɛktɪv/; UK

## Adjective

1. Likely or expected to happen or to come into being.
   - Simple: Likely to happen or to come about in the future.
   - _Analysts weighed the prospective benefits of the proposed reform._
   - _The prospective shortage of water shaped the city's long-term plans._
2. Anticipated as coming about at some point in the future, whether soon or far off.
   - Simple: Expected to come at some time in the future, whether soon or far away.
   - _Engineers studied the prospective route long before any ground was broken._
   - _Her notebook was full of prospective adventures she hoped to take one day._
3. Looking forward in time; acting with foresight about what is to come.
   - Simple: Looking ahead and thinking about what may come.
   - _A prospective approach to budgeting weighs tomorrow's needs against today's spending._
   - _The council took a prospective stance, anticipating problems before they arose._
5. Relating to a prospect or commanding view, or providing such an outlook.
   - Simple: Giving a wide view, or having to do with a view.
   - _The architect designed a prospective gallery facing the open valley._
   - _From its prospective ridge, the lodge offered sweeping scenery in every direction._
6. Describing a research study that begins with the present situation and follows its participants forward into the future.
   - Simple: About a study that starts now and follows people as time goes on.
   - _Researchers launched a prospective trial that enrolled thousands of volunteers and monitored their health for two decades._
   - _A prospective design let the team observe how daily habits affected outcomes over many years._
7. In grammar, indicating an action that is about to begin.
   - Simple: In grammar, showing that an action is just about to begin.
   - _The language uses a prospective construction to show an event is on the point of starting._
   - _A prospective marker signals that the speaker is just about to act._

## Noun

4. A potential member, student, employee, or partner: someone being considered but not yet confirmed. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A person who might join, enroll, or sign up but has not yet.
   - _The admissions office sent brochures to every prospective on the mailing list._
   - _Two of the prospectives accepted offers before the deadline._

## Noun

8. The scene lying before or around one, in space or in time; a view or prospect. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A view or scene that lies in front of you.
9. An optical instrument of earlier times, such as a telescope or spyglass, used for viewing distant objects. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An old tool like a small telescope, used to see far-off things.
   - _The captain raised his prospective to scan the horizon for sails._
   - _He peered through a worn prospective at the church tower across the valley._

## Origin

This word comes from Middle French "prospectif", which derived from Late Latin "prospectivus".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/prospective (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).