# prospective
## English
### Etymology

From Middle French prospectif, from Late Latin prospectivus. See more at English prospect.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pɹəˈspɛktɪv/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛktɪv

### Adjective

prospective (not comparable)
* Likely or expected to happen or become.
    Prospective students are those who have already applied to the university, but have yet to be admitted.
* Anticipated in the near or far future.
** 1968, Herold Jacob Wiens, “I-CH’ANG”, in Encyclopedia Britannica‎, volume 11, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 1054, column 1:A short distance above I-ch’ang is the prospective site of a hydroelectric dam that has vast promise for the industrialization of central China.
* Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect.
** 1626 (date written), John Milton, “At a Vacation Exercise in the Colledge, […]”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], published 1673, →OCLC, page 67:And in times long and dark Proſpective Glaſs / Fore-ſaw what future dayes ſhould bring to paſs,
* Looking forward in time; acting with foresight.
** 1668-1690, Josiah Child, A new discourse of trade
    The French king, and the king of Sweden are […] circumspect, industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair.
* (medicine, of research) A study that starts with the present situation and follows participants into the future
* (grammar) Indicating grammatically an activity about to begin.
    What some other languages convey with prospective aspect, English conveys with expressions like going to drive the car home.

#### Translations
### Noun

prospective (plural prospectives)
* (obsolete) The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.
** 1642, Henry Wotton, A Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers:the whole Scene of affairs was changed from Spain to France there now lay the prospective
* (obsolete) A perspective glass.
** 1613 March 2 (first performance), Francis Beaumont, “The Masque of the Inner-Temple and Gray’s Inn, Gray’s Inn and the Inner-Temple; […]”, in The Dramatic Works of Ben Jonson, and Beaumont and Fletcher: […], volume IV, London: […] John Stockdale, […], published 1811, →OCLC, page 573, column 2:[T]hey [two pavillions] were trimmed on the inside with rich armour and military furniture, hanged up as upon the walls; and behind the tents there were represented, in prospective, the tops of divers other tents, as if it had been a camp.
* (informal, often plural) A prospective (potential) member, student, employee, date, partner, etc.
    Would you like to show the prospective around?
    I'm meeting the prospectives at 3.
** 2006, Verve: The Spirit of Today's Woman, volume 14, numbers 4-6, page 114:At the moment, meeting interesting, 'could be, maybe not' prospectives around the globe keeps her entertained.

### See also

* inchoative

### References

* “prospective”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* “prospective”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* “prospective”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
* prospective aspect on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

## French
### Adjective

prospective
* feminine singular of prospectif