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
The Justice Department on May 14 said the admissions policies of Yale University's medical school favored prospective Black and Hispanic students over White or Asian applicants.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Teams making offseason changes typically wait until there is a vacancy before reaching out about prospective candidates.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
What was once a slow and uncertain flow of prospective officers has evolved into a steady stream of qualified candidates, producing record-sized recruit classes.
—Joy Lepola-Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
The package includes measures that would shorten the application window for affordable housing lotteries, from 60 days to 21 days, and speed up the screening process for prospective tenants in order to get people into apartments faster.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prospective
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Teams making offseason changes typically wait until there is a vacancy before reaching out about prospective candidates.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
What was once a slow and uncertain flow of prospective officers has evolved into a steady stream of qualified candidates, producing record-sized recruit classes.
—Joy Lepola-Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 14 May 2026
The package includes measures that would shorten the application window for affordable housing lotteries, from 60 days to 21 days, and speed up the screening process for prospective tenants in order to get people into apartments faster.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prospective
Cite this Entry
“Prospective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prospective. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
