prom

1 of 2

noun

1
: a formal dance given by a high school or college class
2
British : promenade sense 2

prom

2 of 2

abbreviation

Examples of prom in a Sentence

Noun Are you going to the prom? he resolved to ask her to the school prom at the first opportunity
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
By the end of the morning session, I had been turned down more times than a lowly high school sophomore trying to get a date for the prom. Jj Rosen, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Oct. 2025 In June 2015, the couple attended prom, wearing a matching teal dress and tie. Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025 Russell, who spent her teen years in Colorado, hadn’t gone to her own prom. Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 Perms have become a pop culture memory that many prefer to forget, or at least joke about while looking back at their 1980s prom albums. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prom

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for promenade entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prom was in 1879

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prom. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

prom

noun
ˈpräm
: a formal dance given by a high school or college class
Etymology

Noun

a shortened form of promenade "a march by couples at the beginning of a formal ball"

More from Merriam-Webster on prom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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