prospect
Americannoun
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Usually prospects
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an apparent probability of advancement, success, profit, etc.
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the outlook for the future.
good business prospects.
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anticipation; expectation; a looking forward.
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something in view as a source of profit.
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a potential or likely customer, client, etc.
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a potential or likely candidate.
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a view, especially of scenery; scene.
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outlook or view over a region or in a particular direction.
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a mental view or survey, as of a subject or situation.
- Synonyms:
- perspective
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Mining.
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an apparent indication of ore or native metal.
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a place giving such indications.
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a mine working or excavation undertaken in a search for additional ore.
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Archaic. sight; range of vision.
verb (used with object)
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to search or explore (a region), as for gold.
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to work (a mine or claim) experimentally in order to test its value.
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to make a careful survey of; examine or evaluate.
Another local firm uses the same telemarketer to prospect the northern Brisbane market.
verb (used without object)
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to search or explore a region for gold or the like.
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to make a search; look for something.
As a freelancer, you will be prospecting for clients.
idioms
noun
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(sometimes plural) a probability or chance for future success, esp as based on present work or aptitude
a good job with prospects
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a vision of the future; what is foreseen; expectation
she was excited at the prospect of living in London
unemployment presents a grim prospect
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a view or scene, esp one offering an extended outlook
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a prospective buyer, project, etc
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a survey or observation
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mining
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a known or likely deposit of ore
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the location of a deposit of ore
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a sample of ore for testing
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the yield of mineral obtained from a sample of ore
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verb
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to explore (a region) for gold or other valuable minerals
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(tr) to work (a mine) to discover its profitability
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to search (for)
Usage
What does prospect mean? A prospect is a specific outlook for one’s future, usually leaning toward a positive outcome. It is often used in the plural, as in If Julie doesn’t improve her grades, her prospects for college will be slim.More generally, prospect is a looking forward or anticipation, as in With all this extra work, the prospect of going home early isn’t looking good.In business, prospect has several specific meanings. A prospect could be a source of profit, such as a new product.Prospect could also be a potential client or customer, as in The sales team is always looking for prospects to sell to.Or a prospect could be a potential employee, as in HR sent us several prospects for our job opening.To prospect means to search, often for something that will provide a positive outcome, like a job or a client.More specifically, prospect is used to mean to explore an area for gold or similar, as in The gold rush of 1849 led to a lot of prospecting in California.Example: I gave up all of my prospects in banking to chase my passion for photography.
Related Words
See view.
Other Word Forms
- nonprospect noun
- prospectless adjective
- prospector noun
- underprospect noun
Etymology
Origin of prospect
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus “outlook, view”; prospectus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unless Snead and his scouts have identified a sleeper pick, this year’s draft class is not brimming with top quarterback prospects other than Fernando Mendoza.
From Los Angeles Times
Home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, PJM has for years been grappling with the prospect of electricity supply shortages as the enormous facilities use more and more power.
Iman Talebian, a PhD student who has been in Northern Ireland for three months, said he would have no prospects of finding a job with a good salary if he lived in Iran.
From BBC
“This concentrated approach will continue, with limited activity in these holdings, though we may significantly adjust a holding if we see fundamental changes in its long-term economic prospects,” Abel wrote.
From MarketWatch
Investors have been worried about a laundry list of issues, including regulatory changes, economic prospects and whether there’s simply much more room to convert cash-based payments over to cards.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
