prophet

noun

proph·​et ˈprä-fət How to pronounce prophet (audio)
1
: one who utters divinely inspired revelations: such as
a
often capitalized : the writer of one of the prophetic books of the Bible
b
capitalized : one regarded by a group of followers as the final authoritative revealer of God's will
Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah
2
: one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight
especially : an inspired poet
3
: one who foretells future events : predictor
4
: an effective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group
5
Christian Science
a
: a spiritual seer
b
: disappearance of material sense before the conscious facts of spiritual Truth
prophethood noun

Examples of prophet in a Sentence

the words of the prophet an economist who is regarded by many as a reliable prophet of future developments in the global economy
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.
Jason Lemon, Senior Politics Editor Philosophy The Prophet By Kahlil Gibran | Penguin Classics The Prophet is a collection of poetic essays by the legendary writer Gibran about a fictional prophet who is asked by townspeople to discuss matters of life before sailing home. Newsweek Staff, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024 The obvious question is, how can a false prophet have the ability to perform miracles? Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2024 In the end, the durability of their partnership may depend on Musk’s motives: What drove him to become a MAGA prophet in the first place? Simon Shuster, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024 Another about Harlan arguing with Ray Bradbury (America’s sweetest doomsday prophet) about Walt Disney and America and capitalism — the two of them shouting themselves hoarse for hours because neither would give up an inch of rhetorical ground. Jason Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prophet 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prophete, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin prophēta "spokesman or interpreter of a god" (Late Latin also prophētēs "revealer of God's will, foreteller of future events"), borrowed from Greek prophḗtēs "one who interprets the will of a god to humans, interpreter," (Septuagint) "revealer of God's will," (New Testament) "inspired preacher and teacher, foreteller of future events," from pro- pro- entry 1 + phē-, stem of phēmí, phánai "to speak, say" + -tēs, agent suffix — more at ban entry 1

Note: A few attestations in late Old English, apparently declined as a weak noun, are directly from Latin.

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prophet was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near prophet

Cite this Entry

“Prophet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophet. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

prophet

noun
proph·​et ˈpräf-ət How to pronounce prophet (audio)
1
: one who declares publicly a message that one believes has come from God or a god
2
: one who foretells future events

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