Prospect — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈprä-ˌspekt/ pros·pect

Meaning & Definition of Prospect

Prospect (noun)

  1. exposure
  2. an extensive view
  3. a mental consideration, survey

Prospect (verb)

  1. to explore an area especially for mineral deposits
  2. to inspect (a region) for mineral deposits; broadly, explore

Prospect (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. all that can be seen from a certain point

    "gazing at the wide prospect spread out before me"

    similar: command, lookout, outlook, panorama, perspective, view, vista
    related: landscape, scene, scenery, ken, sight, visual field

  2. one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award

    "a good prospect for the position of auditor"

    similar: applicant, applier, aspirant, campaigner, candidate, contender, expectant, hopeful, seeker
    related: competitor, contestant, entrant, entry, favorite, qualifier, dark horse, spoiler, stalking horse, crown prince, favorite son, claimant, pretender, nominee, running mate
    opposite: noncandidate
    near: incumbent, officeholder, awardee, honoree, inductee, dropout

  3. something that can develop or become actual

    "one highly desirable prospect for the city is a major-league franchise"

    similar: capability, eventuality, possibility, potential, potentiality
    related: likelihood, probability, latency, potency
    near: actuality, reality, certainty

  4. the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence

    "the prospect of a quiet, restful Sunday ended when our basement flooded"

    similar: anticipation, contemplation, expectance, expectancy, expectation
    related: alarm, apprehension, dread, foreboding, misgiving

Prospect (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to go into or range over for purposes of discovery

    "soon all manner of people had arrived in the valley to prospect it for gold"

    similar: explore, hunt, probe, search, skirr
    related: reconnoiter, scout, disclose, discover, reveal, unearth, fathom, plumb, sound

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Prospect

The most common words with a similar meaning to Prospect:

command, lookout, outlook, panorama, perspective, view, vista, applicant, applier, aspirant, campaigner, candidate, contender, expectant, hopeful, seeker, capability, eventuality, possibility, potential, potentiality, anticipation, contemplation, expectance, expectancy, expectation, explore, hunt, probe, search, skirr

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Prospect

Words with the opposite meaning of Prospect:

noncandidate

Related Words for Prospect

landscape, scene, scenery, ken, sight, visual field, competitor, contestant, entrant, entry, favorite, qualifier, dark horse, spoiler, stalking horse, crown prince, favorite son, claimant, pretender, nominee, running mate, likelihood, probability, latency, potency, alarm, apprehension, dread, foreboding, misgiving

Near Antonyms of Prospect

incumbent, officeholder, awardee, honoree, inductee, dropout, actuality, reality, certainty

Word Forms of Prospect

Inflections: prospected, prospecting, prospects

Derived words: prospector (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Prospect

Middle English, from Latin prospectus view, prospect, from prospicere to look forward, exercise foresight, from pro- forward + specere to look pro-, spy

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Prospect

Words & Phrases Containing Prospect

in prospect

Frequently Asked Questions about Prospect

What does "Prospect" mean?

"Prospect" means exposure. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: exposure. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Prospect"?

Other words for "Prospect" include command, lookout, outlook, panorama, perspective, view, vista and applicant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Prospect" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Prospect"?

There are 70 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Prospect". Common alternatives include command, lookout, outlook, panorama, perspective, view, vista, applicant, applier and aspirant.

What is the opposite of "Prospect"?

Antonyms of "Prospect" include noncandidate. Near antonyms include incumbent, officeholder, awardee and honoree.

How do you use "Prospect" in a sentence?

Examples of "Prospect" in a sentence: "gazing at the wide prospect spread out before me"; "a good prospect for the position of auditor"; "one highly desirable prospect for the city is a major-league franchise".

Is "Prospect" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Prospect" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Prospect" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Prospect" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Prospect"?

"Prospect" is pronounced /ˈprä-ˌspekt/ and divided into syllables as pros·pect.