prosed; prosing
pro se
4 of 4adjective or adverb
ˈprō-ˈsā 
-ˈsē
: on one's own behalf : without an attorney
a pro se action
a defendant's right to proceed pro se
Examples of prose in a Sentence
Noun
… 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.
Verb
'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
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.
Verb
'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 on the Web
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
But there’s also a remarkable elasticity to Bennett’s prose: the narrator’s thoughts stretch from the very inconsequential to the most profound.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2025
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
Or just a Fascist? February 22, 2025 Reading Time: 5 minutes
Does a glorious prose style reflect a glorious quality in a writer’s soul?
—Paul Berman, airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Once in prison, Brown filed a series of pro se appeals and then obtained lawyers who filed a 440 motion to vacate the conviction.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prose
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Noun
Other times, dense prose or consonant heavy character names require undivided attention to maintain reading momentum.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
But there’s also a remarkable elasticity to Bennett’s prose: the narrator’s thoughts stretch from the very inconsequential to the most profound.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
This cheerfully genre-crossing autobiographical novel is told in rhyming couplets with some prose sections interspersed.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2025
Or just a Fascist? February 22, 2025 Reading Time: 5 minutes
Does a glorious prose style reflect a glorious quality in a writer’s soul?
—Paul Berman, airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025
Adjective or adverb
Rahmani explained the challenges judges face when working with plaintiffs who are pro se.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Once in prison, Brown filed a series of pro se appeals and then obtained lawyers who filed a 440 motion to vacate the conviction.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prose
Cite this Entry
“Prose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prose. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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