prose

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noun \ ˈprōz \

Definition of prose

1 a :the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing

b :a literary medium distinguished from poetry especially by its greater irregularity and variety of rhythm and its closer correspondence to the patterns of everyday speech

2 :a dull or ordinary style, quality, or condition

See prose defined for English-language learners

See prose defined for kids

Examples of prose in a Sentence

… the esteemed critic James Wood reaches out to assure "the common reader" … that his prose is as free as he can make it of what James Joyce termed "the true scholastic stink" of so much academic writing. —Walter Kirn, New York Times Book Review, 17 Aug. 2008
Like many two-person writing teams, this one produces its share of three-legged prose and redundancy. —James McManus, New York Times Book Review, 15 Apr. 2001
In my own work I felt a need to hurry from climax as in film montage, or even in Joycean prose with its strings of firecracker words … —Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
She writes in very clear prose.

Recent Examples of prose from the Web

Novels, which were intended to show unfiltered middle-class life in everyday prose instead of fakey verse, drove women to promiscuity by representing their feelings so exactly.

— virginia heffernan, WIRED, "The Great Tech Panic: The Internet Is the Uncanniest Valley," 25 Aug. 2017
In elegant prose, stitched with stories from his Vietnamese homeland, his travels and his years in Paris, Hanh lays out wisdom that flows seamlessly from the poignant to the practical.

— barbara mahany, chicagotribune.com, "James Martin's controversial 'Building a Bridge' leads this week's spiritual roundup," 22 Aug. 2017
All is written in straightforward, precise, meditative prose.

— john timpane, Philly.com, "In Yiyun Li's essay collection, a special brand of beauty," 6 Aug. 2017
The Great Enigma collects twelve books of poems, a cycle of haikus, and Tranströmer’s beautiful prose memoir of his childhood in Sweden, Memories Look at Me.

— nr symposium, National Review, "It’s Summer, Time to Catch Up on Your Reading — A Symposium," 31 July 2017
Meloy, whose short stories were the basis of last year’s indie film Certain Women, writes a tense book in her signature sparing prose, and may have the book of the summer on her hands.

— marisa meltzer, CNT, "8 Summer Reads That Will Transport You Across the Globe," 10 July 2017
Covington's beautiful prose, page-turning story, and you-are-there descriptions prove to be worth the wait. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

— susan swagler, AL.com, "New book discusses Southern food history, plus books by Southern women writers," 7 July 2017
The honor of writing the epilogue went to Dr. Church himself, whose peripatetic prose is challenging, to put it mildly.

— david holahan, USA TODAY, "New book: Will the woolly mammoth roam the earth again?," 3 July 2017
Martin’s Press Writing a book is hard, especially when the book in question is based on meticulous research that surfaces as page-turning prose.

— peter manso, Car and Driver, "Sixteen Books Every Auto Enthusiast Should Read," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of prose

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin prosa, from feminine of prorsus, prosus, straightforward, being in prose, contraction of proversus, past participle of provertere to turn forward, from pro- forward + vertere to turn — more at pro-, worth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

prose

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adjective \ ˈprōz \

Definition of prose

1 :of, relating to, or written in prose

2 :prosaic

Recent Examples of prose from the Web

YESTERDAY’S WORD — FORCEPS force fore fresco froe rope rose cero cope coper copse core corps corpse crop epos peso pore pose poser prose scope score serf sore spore To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com.

— kathleen saxe, The Mercury News, "Word Game: February 08, 2017," 8 Feb. 2017

Origin and Etymology of prose

see ¹prose

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

prose

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verb \ ˈprōz \

Definition of prose

prosed; prosing

intransitive verb

1 :to write prose

2 :to write or speak in a dull or ordinary manner

Examples of prose in a Sentence

'In the meantime,' said Traddles, coming back to his chair; 'and this is the end of my prosing about myself, I get on as well as I can. I don't make much, but I don't spend much … ' —Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850

Recent Examples of prose from the Web

Tae kwon do expert Zoe Zhang kicks to prose read by Taiwanese artist Aristophanes; stuntwoman Jessie Graff flies into the air as Kojey Radical reads on.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Bask in the Glory of Misty Copeland Dancing to Saul Williams," 19 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of prose

see ¹prose

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

pro se

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adjective or adverb \ ˈprō-ˈsā , -ˈsē \

Definition of pro se

:on one's own behalf :without an attorney

a pro se action

a defendant's right to proceed pro se

Origin and Etymology of pro se

Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1861

See Words from the same year

PROSE Defined for English Language Learners

prose

play

noun

Definition of prose for English Language Learners

: writing that is not poetry : ordinary writing

PROSE Defined for Kids

prose

play

noun \ ˈprōz \

Definition of prose for Students

1 :the ordinary language that people use in speaking or writing

2 :writing without the repeating rhythm that is used in poetry

Law Dictionary

pro se

adverb or adjective \ ˈprō-ˈsā, -ˈsē \

legal Definition of pro se

:on one's own behalf :without an attorney

a defendant's right to proceed pro se

a pro se action

Origin and Etymology of pro se

Latin

Learn More about prose

See words that rhyme with prose Spanish Central: Translation of prose Nglish: Translation of prose for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prose for Arabic speakers

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prose

Definition of prose

Recent Examples of prose from the Web

Origin and Etymology of prose

Other Literature Terms

prose

Definition of prose

Examples of prose in a Sentence

Recent Examples of prose from the Web

Origin and Etymology of prose

Other Literature Terms

pro se

Definition of pro se

Origin and Etymology of pro se

PROSE Defined for English Language Learners

prose

Definition of prose for English Language Learners

PROSE Defined for Kids

prose

Definition of prose for Students

Law Dictionary

pro se

legal Definition of pro se

Origin and Etymology of pro se

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