PROSPECTIVE Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

prospective

adjective

Definition of prospective

as in potential

likely to be or become something at a later time The school had a luncheon for prospective students.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of prospective The best way to evaluate prospective agents is to interview at least a few of them. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 12 Aug. 2026 Most recent studies on coffee have primarily focused on prospective cohorts; such investigations have followed tens of thousands of people for decades to track their habits and health outcomes. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026 Carro also asked the parties Tuesday to confer with each other on the questionnaire for prospective jurors. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 High land prices also compound barriers for prospective farmers, including minorities who face historical inequities in land ownership and access to funding, according to the report. — Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prospective

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prospective

Adjective

Discussion of the matter during Monday’s meeting was brief and dismissed, as the agenda instead focused on potential CFP expansion to 16 and 24 teams.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
The series is designed as a multi-platform franchise with potential extensions into comics, games and merchandise.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of potential

Adjective

No application has been filed and any future project would first require a code change, environmental review, and approvals through the planning commission and city council.

— Nina Burns, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Mercury in your 9th House of Learning and Perspective sextiles Venus in your 11th House of Community, helping vision, friendship, and future plans connect.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of future

Adjective

Mangione's lawyers and federal prosecutors in Manhattan also discussed a possible guilty plea in his federal case in June, sources previously told ABC News.

— Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
With an address right in the heart of Paris, this place is ideal for first-timers who want to see as much as possible, or art lovers who are in town specifically to see the Louvre.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of possible

Browse Nearby Words

prospecting

prospective

prospects

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Prospective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prospective. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of prospective

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on prospective

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vacuous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes