prospect
1 of 2noun
pros·pect ˈprä-ˌspekt 
1
: exposure sense 3b
2
a(1)
: an extensive view
(2)
: a mental consideration : survey
b
: a place that commands an extensive view : lookout
c
: something extended to the view : scene
d
archaic : a sketch or picture of a scene
3
obsolete : aspect
4
a
: the act of looking forward : anticipation
b
: a mental picture of something to come : vision
c
: something that is awaited or expected : possibility
d prospects plural
(1)
: financial expectations
(2)
: chances
5
: a place showing signs of containing a mineral deposit
6
a
: a potential buyer or customer
b
: a likely candidate for a job or position
prospect
2 of 2verb
pros·pect ˈprä-ˌspekt
chiefly British prə-ˈspekt
prospected; prospecting; prospects
intransitive verb
: to explore an area especially for mineral deposits
transitive verb
: to inspect (a region) for mineral deposits
broadly : explore
prospector
ˈprä-ˌspek-tər
noun prə-ˈspek-
Did you know?
Since the Latin prefix pro- often means "forward", prospect refers to looking forward. The prospect of a recession may lead investors to pull their money out of the stock market. Graduates of a good law school usually have excellent prospects for finding employment. Prospective students roam campuses with their parents in the year before they plan to enter college.
Synonyms
Noun
- command
- lookout
- outlook
- panorama
- perspective
- view
- vista
Verb
- explore
- hunt
- probe
- search
- skirr
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun the frightening prospect of going to war She is excited by the prospect of returning to school. Bankruptcy is an unlikely prospect for the company. There was no prospect that the two parties would reach an agreement anytime soon. a young baseball player who's considered a top prospect We haven't decided which car to buy yet. We're still looking at a few prospects. Verb soon all manner of people had arrived in the valley to prospect it for gold See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2022 Looking forward to the real prospect of ESPN College Game Day on campus at Oregon State. oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2022 Tyler Wells, second behind Lyles in innings, was left available as a prospect to all 29 other teams by the Minnesota Twins and passed over by each until Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2022 Guenther’s already getting widespread attention after participating in the NHLPA Rookie Showcase on September 7 with fellow Coyotes prospect Matias Maccelli. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2022 Dunn, once rated as a top-100 prospect, had a 5-4 record and a 3.94 ERA in 25 starts with the Seattle Mariners from 2019-21. The Enquirer, 16 Sep. 2022 And that, Mark Barabak writes, raises the prospect the state could elect a gun-loving, corporate-hugging, woke-bashing political independent as its next leader. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 Glenville’s biggest prospect at receiver is junior tight end Damarion Witten, who recently picked up an Ohio State offer. Matt Goul, cleveland, 15 Sep. 2022 Ferree’s rise as a prospect with Loyal Select, which has some of the San Diego area’s top youth players, happened rapidly. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2022 Kraws, 21, is one of five goaltenders selected in a group that includes Coyotes prospect Anson Thornton and invitees Seth Eisele, Thibault Fatton and Austin Roden. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 Chicago Cubs prospect Brailyn Márquez’s journey to get back to the big leagues has hit another hurdle. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2022 Following the draft, the draft picks will report to prospect development camp on July 10-15. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 Ivey is a surefire lottery prospect the Pacers will consider drafting sixth overall. James Boyd, The Indianapolis Star, 31 May 2022 Reds prospect Austin Hendrick, an outfielder who was Cincinnati's first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft, was promoted Tuesday from Class-A Daytona to High-A Dayton, the team announced. Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 24 May 2022 This sales process and cost must include everything from lead generation to prospect qualification, to meetings, to negotiation and close. Pradeep Aradhya, Forbes, 13 June 2022 About two weeks ago, Detroit Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler returned to competition in Triple-A Toledo. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 9 June 2022 See More
Noun
Further down, 20-year-old righthander Wikelman González (High A Greenville) and super-utility prospect Eddinson Paulino (who spent the year excelling in Single A Salem) have some of the highest upside in the system. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2022 Looking forward to the real prospect of ESPN College Game Day on campus at Oregon State. oregonlive, 16 Sep. 2022 Tyler Wells, second behind Lyles in innings, was left available as a prospect to all 29 other teams by the Minnesota Twins and passed over by each until Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2022 Guenther’s already getting widespread attention after participating in the NHLPA Rookie Showcase on September 7 with fellow Coyotes prospect Matias Maccelli. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2022 Dunn, once rated as a top-100 prospect, had a 5-4 record and a 3.94 ERA in 25 starts with the Seattle Mariners from 2019-21. The Enquirer, 16 Sep. 2022 And that, Mark Barabak writes, raises the prospect the state could elect a gun-loving, corporate-hugging, woke-bashing political independent as its next leader. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 Glenville’s biggest prospect at receiver is junior tight end Damarion Witten, who recently picked up an Ohio State offer. Matt Goul, cleveland, 15 Sep. 2022 Ferree’s rise as a prospect with Loyal Select, which has some of the San Diego area’s top youth players, happened rapidly. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 Verb
Bruins prospect Fabian Lysell has been impressing for Sweden. Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2022 Kraws, 21, is one of five goaltenders selected in a group that includes Coyotes prospect Anson Thornton and invitees Seth Eisele, Thibault Fatton and Austin Roden. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 Chicago Cubs prospect Brailyn Márquez’s journey to get back to the big leagues has hit another hurdle. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2022 Following the draft, the draft picks will report to prospect development camp on July 10-15. Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 Ivey is a surefire lottery prospect the Pacers will consider drafting sixth overall. James Boyd, The Indianapolis Star, 31 May 2022 Reds prospect Austin Hendrick, an outfielder who was Cincinnati's first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft, was promoted Tuesday from Class-A Daytona to High-A Dayton, the team announced. Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 24 May 2022 This sales process and cost must include everything from lead generation to prospect qualification, to meetings, to negotiation and close. Pradeep Aradhya, Forbes, 13 June 2022 About two weeks ago, Detroit Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler returned to competition in Triple-A Toledo. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 9 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Latin prospectus view, prospect, from prospicere to look forward, exercise foresight, from pro- forward + specere to look — more at pro-, spy
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1834, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Phrases Containing prospect
Kids Definition
prospect 1 of 2
noun
pros·pect ˈprä-ˌspekt
1
: something that is waited for or expected : possibility
… he was quite pleased at the prospect of a whole winter of reading travel books … Richard {amp} Florence Atwater, Mr. Popper's Penguins
Richard {amp} Florence Atwater, Mr. Popper's Penguins2
: someone or something that is likely to be successful : a likely candidate
a presidential prospect
3
: a wide view
The room provides a prospect of sea and land.
prospect
2 of 2verb
prospected; prospecting
: to explore especially for mineral deposits
prospect 1 of 2
noun
1
as in view
all that can be seen from a certain point gazing at the wide prospect spread out before me Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- view
- panorama
- perspective
- outlook
- vista
- landscape
- scenery
- sight
- command
- lookout
- scene
- visual field
- ken
2
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award a good prospect for the position of auditor Synonyms & Similar Words
- candidate
- hopeful
- applicant
- contender
- expectant
- aspirant
- competitor
- seeker
- nominee
- campaigner
- contestant
- entrant
- qualifier
- favorite
- claimant
- applier
- pretender
- crown prince
- entry
- running mate
- stalking horse
- favorite son
- spoiler
- dark horse
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incumbent
- officeholder
- noncandidate
- awardee
- inductee
- honoree
- dropout
3
as in possibility
something that can develop or become actual one highly desirable prospect for the city is a major-league franchise Synonyms & Similar Words
- possibility
- potential
- potentiality
- likelihood
- probability
- capability
- eventuality
- potency
- latency
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reality
- certainty
- actuality
4
as in anticipation
the act or state of looking forward to some occurrence the prospect of a quiet, restful Sunday ended when our basement flooded Synonyms & Similar Words
- anticipation
- expectation
- expectancy
- expectance
- contemplation
- apprehension
- dread
- misgiving
- alarm
- foreboding
- alarum
prospect
2 of 2verb
as in to search
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- search
- explore
- hunt
- scout
- skirr
- probe
- discover
- reconnoitre
- reconnoiter
- fathom
- disclose
- reveal
- unearth
- sound
- plumb
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of prospect are anticipation, foretaste, and outlook. While all these words mean "an advance realization of something to come," prospect implies expectation of a particular event, condition, or development of definite interest or concern.
the prospect of a quiet weekend
The words anticipation and prospect are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, anticipation implies a prospect or outlook that involves advance suffering or enjoyment of what is foreseen.
the anticipation of her arrival
The synonyms foretaste and prospect are sometimes interchangeable, but foretaste implies an actual though brief or partial experience of something forthcoming.
the frost was a foretaste of winter
Although the words outlook and prospect have much in common, outlook suggests a forecasting of the future.
a favorable outlook for the economy
- homeschool
- homeschooled
- homeschooler
- homeschoolers
- homeschooling
- homeschoolings
- homeschools
- homeseeker
- homesick
- homesickness
- homesicknesses
- homesite
- homesites
- homespun
- homespuns
- morning dress
- morning gift
- morning glory
- morning gown
- morning gun
- morning hour
- morning line
- morning loan
- morning person
- Morning Prayer