prospective
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English
Etymology
From Middle French prospectif, from Late Latin prospectivus. See more at English prospect.
Pronunciation
Adjective
prospective (not comparable)
- Likely or expected to happen or become.
- Prospective students are those who have already applied to the university, but have yet to be admitted.
- Anticipated in the near or far future.
- 1968, Herold Jacob Wiens, “I-CH’ANG”, in Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 11, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 1054, column 1:
- A short distance above I-ch’ang is the prospective site of a hydroelectric dam that has vast promise for the industrialization of central China.
- Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect.
- 1626 (date written), John Milton, “At a Vacation Exercise in the Colledge, ”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: Tho Dring , published 1673, →OCLC, page 67:
- And in times long and dark Proſpective Glaſs / Fore-ſaw what future dayes ſhould bring to paſs,
- Looking forward in time; acting with foresight.
- 1668-1690, Josiah Child, A new discourse of trade
- The French king, and the king of Sweden are circumspect, industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair.
- 1668-1690, Josiah Child, A new discourse of trade
- (medicine, of research) A study that starts with the present situation and follows participants into the future
- (grammar) Indicating grammatically an activity about to begin.
- What some other languages convey with prospective aspect, English conveys with expressions like going to drive the car home.
Translations
likely or expected to happen or become
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following the same population
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Noun
prospective (plural prospectives)
- (obsolete) The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.
- 1642, Henry Wotton, A Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers:
- the whole Scene of affairs was changed from Spain to France there now lay the prospective
- (obsolete) A perspective glass.
- 1613 March 2 (first performance), Francis Beaumont, “The Masque of the Inner-Temple and Gray’s Inn, Gray’s Inn and the Inner-Temple; ”, in The Dramatic Works of Ben Jonson, and Beaumont and Fletcher: , volume IV, London: John Stockdale, , published 1811, →OCLC, page 573, column 2:
- [T]hey [two pavillions] were trimmed on the inside with rich armour and military furniture, hanged up as upon the walls; and behind the tents there were represented, in prospective, the tops of divers other tents, as if it had been a camp.
- (informal, often plural) A prospective (potential) member, student, employee, date, partner, etc.
- Would you like to show the prospective around?
- I'm meeting the prospectives at 3.
- 2006, Verve: The Spirit of Today's Woman, volume 14, numbers 4-6, page 114:
- At the moment, meeting interesting, 'could be, maybe not' prospectives around the globe keeps her entertained.
See also
References
- “prospective”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “prospective”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “prospective”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
prospective aspect on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
French
Adjective
prospective