prose

1 of 4

noun

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

prose

2 of 4

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or written in prose
2

prose

3 of 4

verb

prosed; prosing

intransitive verb

1
: to write prose
2
: to write or speak in a dull or ordinary manner

pro se

4 of 4

adjective or adverb

: 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
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
Its readability owes much to Williams and his prose, which is lyrical but not cloying, and to his storytelling, which is propulsive without sacrificing character development or narrative tension. Sarah Jones, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024 In Tongues said just enough without belaboring any of it thanks to Grattan’s light and graceful yet poignant prose. Ilana Masad, Them, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Many thriller writers use this to their advantage, switching up their prose style to match the energy of the scene. Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024 Han, 53, began her career with a group of poems in a South Korean magazine, before making her prose debut in 1995 with a short story collection. Christian Edwards, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024
Adjective or adverb
That resulted in a court hearing at which Toth (who is not a lawyer) appeared pro se. Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 As is typical for pro se lawsuits, most have been dismissed quickly. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prose 

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

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

Adjective or adverb

Latin

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective Or Adverb

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prose was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near prose

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

prose

noun
ˈprōz
1
: the ordinary language that people use when they speak or write
2
: writing that does not have the repeating rhythm used in poetry
prose adjective

Legal Definition

pro se

adverb or adjective
ˈprō-ˈsā, -ˈsē
: on one's own behalf : without an attorney
a defendant's right to proceed pro se
a pro se action
Etymology

Adverb or adjective

Latin

More from Merriam-Webster on prose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!