prompted; prompting; prompts
1
: to move to action : incite
2
: to assist (one acting or reciting) by suggesting or saying the next words of something forgotten or imperfectly learned : cue
3
: to serve as the inciting cause of
evidence prompting an investigation
prompter
noun
: of or relating to prompting actors
1
: being ready and quick to act as occasion demands
2
: performed readily or immediately
prompt assistance
plural prompts
ˈpräm(p)ts 
ˈprämps
1
[prompt entry 1]
: something that prompts : reminder
2
[prompt entry 3]
: a limit of time given for payment of an account for goods purchased
also
: the contract by which this time is fixed
Synonyms
Examples of prompt in a Sentence
Verb
Curiosity prompted her to ask a few questions.
Pride prompted his angry response.
The evidence prompted a criminal investigation.
“Did you hear me?” he prompted when his friend did not respond to his first question.
The actor had to be prompted by someone who was standing offstage.
The computer prompted me to type in a number.
Noun
The actor was given a prompt by someone offstage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 26 Apr. 2024
China’s breakthrough is prompting the Biden administration to plug loopholes in its export control measures, including leaning on allies like the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan to more aggressively impose and enforce controls on China, reports the Financial Times.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 26 Apr. 2024
Undeterred protesters then built a larger encampment on an adjacent quad, prompting the school to switch to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
The Stanford episode might have prompted a reckoning inside MLB clubhouses, but the lesson didn’t stick with the entire next generation of players.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
That prompted counterprotests in the town from an array of far-right groups.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Alexis Gabe disappeared more than two years ago, prompting a massive search, homicide investigation and outpouring of grief and assistance from her East Bay community, which closely followed the controversial whodunit every step of the way.
—Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
Prior to Parker’s death, 14 people were known to have died in cliff accidents since 1994, prompting county officials to vote in November to raise the fences along the beach cliffs from 4 to 6 feet, Bay Area News Group reported.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024
That 2021 discovery prompted U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native cabinet member in American history, to launch a full review of this country’s own legacy of Native American boarding schools, which forcefully assimilated Indigenous children and stripped them of their culture.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Health experts say aggressive formula marketing — such as steep discounts and free samples — can make misleading claims and prompt mothers to prematurely give up breastfeeding.
—Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2024
Resistance exercise also stimulates a cascade of growth signals that prompt muscle fibers to reinforce themselves, capillaries to expand the muscle’s blood supply, and DNA to make more proteins.
—Donavyn Coffey, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
Among the other tools rolled out on Thursday are prompt shields, which block attacks on generative AI models, like prompt injections or malicious prompts from external documents that steer models away from training and safety guardrails.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
While a more privileged child may enjoy the luxury of prompt medical attention and preventive care, their counterpart in a poor area faces a labyrinth of obstacles hindering their access to essential healthcare services.
—Seth Bogner, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Critical to the race for prompt diagnosis and treatment is a rather unexpected clinician: the primary care provider (PCP).
—Katherine O'Malley, STAT, 27 Mar. 2024
One position in high demand is prompt engineer, who designs prompts and other processes to get optimal performance from generative AI tools, whether text or images.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
This statement is in direct conflict with the scientific consensus of physicists, climatologists and other experts globally, whose research has determined a prompt and substantial reduction in fossil fuel use is non-negotiable for preserving a habitable planet.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024
Dominique Fluker, Essence, 17 Apr. 2024
Maestro will respond to a prompt by creating a playlist and generating an inventive title.
—Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2024
With just a few simple prompts, large language models (LLMs) at the time could scour their vast databases of articles, books, and archives and spit out relatively coherent short-form essay or question responses in seconds.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024
A lot of people include something like 'studio lighting' or 'professionally lit' in their image prompts, which often results in images that look nice but don’t match the alleged source.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Fostering a culture of sharing advice and prompts also helps constantly reinforce your habit with new tips and tricks.
—Colette Stallbaumer, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Attention science corroborates that emotionally connected and engaged audiences are more likely to respond to these prompts, and younger generations show an especially high propensity to take action.
—Curt Steinhorst, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Gizmodo asked five of the leading AI chatbots a series of 20 controversial prompts and found patterns that suggest widespread censorship.
—Maxwell Zeff and Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has already released generative AI products like Imagine, which can produce images from text prompts.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
The 108-year-old company has grappled with several safety problems in recent years, prompting CEOs like United Airlines’ Scott Kirby and Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary to express their concerns about using Boeing aircraft.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 26 Apr. 2024
China’s breakthrough is prompting the Biden administration to plug loopholes in its export control measures, including leaning on allies like the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan to more aggressively impose and enforce controls on China, reports the Financial Times.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 26 Apr. 2024
Undeterred protesters then built a larger encampment on an adjacent quad, prompting the school to switch to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
The Stanford episode might have prompted a reckoning inside MLB clubhouses, but the lesson didn’t stick with the entire next generation of players.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
That prompted counterprotests in the town from an array of far-right groups.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Alexis Gabe disappeared more than two years ago, prompting a massive search, homicide investigation and outpouring of grief and assistance from her East Bay community, which closely followed the controversial whodunit every step of the way.
—Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
Prior to Parker’s death, 14 people were known to have died in cliff accidents since 1994, prompting county officials to vote in November to raise the fences along the beach cliffs from 4 to 6 feet, Bay Area News Group reported.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024
That 2021 discovery prompted U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native cabinet member in American history, to launch a full review of this country’s own legacy of Native American boarding schools, which forcefully assimilated Indigenous children and stripped them of their culture.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The prompt passage of aid for Ukraine is but one step.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Health experts say aggressive formula marketing — such as steep discounts and free samples — can make misleading claims and prompt mothers to prematurely give up breastfeeding.
—Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2024
Resistance exercise also stimulates a cascade of growth signals that prompt muscle fibers to reinforce themselves, capillaries to expand the muscle’s blood supply, and DNA to make more proteins.
—Donavyn Coffey, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
Among the other tools rolled out on Thursday are prompt shields, which block attacks on generative AI models, like prompt injections or malicious prompts from external documents that steer models away from training and safety guardrails.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
While a more privileged child may enjoy the luxury of prompt medical attention and preventive care, their counterpart in a poor area faces a labyrinth of obstacles hindering their access to essential healthcare services.
—Seth Bogner, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Critical to the race for prompt diagnosis and treatment is a rather unexpected clinician: the primary care provider (PCP).
—Katherine O'Malley, STAT, 27 Mar. 2024
One position in high demand is prompt engineer, who designs prompts and other processes to get optimal performance from generative AI tools, whether text or images.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
This statement is in direct conflict with the scientific consensus of physicists, climatologists and other experts globally, whose research has determined a prompt and substantial reduction in fossil fuel use is non-negotiable for preserving a habitable planet.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
Try using journaling prompts to help clarify why the decision is essential to you.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 17 Apr. 2024
Maestro will respond to a prompt by creating a playlist and generating an inventive title.
—Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2024
With just a few simple prompts, large language models (LLMs) at the time could scour their vast databases of articles, books, and archives and spit out relatively coherent short-form essay or question responses in seconds.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024
A lot of people include something like 'studio lighting' or 'professionally lit' in their image prompts, which often results in images that look nice but don’t match the alleged source.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Fostering a culture of sharing advice and prompts also helps constantly reinforce your habit with new tips and tricks.
—Colette Stallbaumer, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Attention science corroborates that emotionally connected and engaged audiences are more likely to respond to these prompts, and younger generations show an especially high propensity to take action.
—Curt Steinhorst, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Gizmodo asked five of the leading AI chatbots a series of 20 controversial prompts and found patterns that suggest widespread censorship.
—Maxwell Zeff and Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has already released generative AI products like Imagine, which can produce images from text prompts.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prompt.' 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 prompt
Cite this Entry
“Prompt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prompt. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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