prospective
adjective
pro·spec·tive
prə-ˈspek-tiv 
also ˈprä-ˌspek-,
prō-ˈspek-,
prä-ˈspek-
1
: relating to or effective in the future
prospectively
adverb
Examples of prospective in a Sentence
In 2005 [Jerry] Colangelo arranged face-to-face sit-downs with every prospective national team player, to hear in their own words why they wanted to represent their country.
—
Alexander Wolff, Sports Illustrated, 28 July 2008
All too often in the post-Vietnam past—the first Gulf War, for example—the default position of the Democratic Party has been to assume that any prospective use of U.S. military power would be immoral.
—Joe Klein, Time, 21 Aug. 2006
All of these arguments were prospective, all anticipated the role that public opinion would play in future constitutional disputes.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings … , 1996
Alexander Wolff, Sports Illustrated, 28 July 2008
All too often in the post-Vietnam past—the first Gulf War, for example—the default position of the Democratic Party has been to assume that any prospective use of U.S. military power would be immoral.
—Joe Klein, Time, 21 Aug. 2006
All of these arguments were prospective, all anticipated the role that public opinion would play in future constitutional disputes.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings … , 1996
Recent Examples on the Web
On March 26, Trump was barred from commenting on potential witnesses in the case, prospective jurors, court staff, lawyers in Bragg's office and the relatives of any counsel or court staffer — but was free to attack Bragg and Merchan.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
To protect their anonymity, however, the 96 prospective jurors brought into a 15th-floor courtroom at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday were referred to only by their court identification numbers.
—David Nakamura, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
This past January, Kristina Menton, Pivotal’s C.O.O., welcomed me to the company’s training center, a miniature flight school for prospective customers.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
In her sales conversations, prospective customers would ask Matima where Lark stored data that users posted on the platform.
—Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
The team and the National Hockey League aren't talking yet, but Salt Lake City and a prospective owner hungry for a franchise are rolling out the red carpet.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
But in 1959, federal law eased development restrictions, clearing the way for the Indian landowners to offer prospective tenants 99-year leases.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Commissioner Alisa Simmons, the only one of four voting commissioners to oppose the PID, questioned the district’s benefits and the plans of the prospective developer, Centurion American.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
DeSantis last month signed into law a bill allowing the State Guard to run prospective members through federal background checks, after agency leaders noted that volunteers will be deployed with vulnerable populations.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Graham Kates, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
To protect their anonymity, however, the 96 prospective jurors brought into a 15th-floor courtroom at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday were referred to only by their court identification numbers.
—David Nakamura, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
This past January, Kristina Menton, Pivotal’s C.O.O., welcomed me to the company’s training center, a miniature flight school for prospective customers.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
In her sales conversations, prospective customers would ask Matima where Lark stored data that users posted on the platform.
—Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024
The team and the National Hockey League aren't talking yet, but Salt Lake City and a prospective owner hungry for a franchise are rolling out the red carpet.
—The Arizona Republic, 14 Apr. 2024
But in 1959, federal law eased development restrictions, clearing the way for the Indian landowners to offer prospective tenants 99-year leases.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Commissioner Alisa Simmons, the only one of four voting commissioners to oppose the PID, questioned the district’s benefits and the plans of the prospective developer, Centurion American.
—Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
DeSantis last month signed into law a bill allowing the State Guard to run prospective members through federal background checks, after agency leaders noted that volunteers will be deployed with vulnerable populations.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prospective.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prospective
Cite this Entry
“Prospective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prospective. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prospective
adjective
pro·spec·tive
prə-ˈspek-tiv
also ˈprä-ˌspek-,
prō-ˈspek-,
prä-ˈspek-
1
: likely to come about
prospective benefits
2
: likely to become
a prospective buyer
Medical Definition
prospective
adjective
pro·spec·tive
prə-ˈspek-tiv
: relating to or being a study (as of the incidence of disease) that starts with the present condition of a population of individuals and follows them into the future compare retrospective
Legal Definition
prospective
adjective
pro·spec·tive
prə-ˈspek-tiv, ˈprä-ˌspek-
1
: relating to or effective in the future
a statute's prospective effect
2
: likely to come about : expected to happen
prospective inability to perform the contract
3
: likely to be or become
a prospective buyer
prospectively
adverb
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