prospect

B2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈpɹɑspɛkt/ UK /ˈpɹɒspɛkt/ See IPA manual

Freq #9920

Meanings

1

noun
The chance or likelihood that something will happen, often something good.

There is little prospect of finding a job here.
2

noun
Opportunities for future success, especially in a career.

Her prospects as a writer are excellent.
3

verb
To search an area for valuable minerals such as gold or oil.

They went into the hills to prospect for gold.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the chance or likelihood... chance

Word family

Forms prospectedprospectingprospects

Derived forms bioprospectnonprospectprospectlessprospectorunprospected

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

alluring prospect
a possible future event or opportunity that seems especially tempting

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus (“view, sight, prospect; panorama”), from prōspiciō (“to look forward”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns), from pro (“before, forward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look, to see”). By surface analysis, pro- + -spect. Doublet of prospectus and prospekt. The verb is from the noun.

*speḱ- Proto-Indo-European prospecte Middle English prōspectus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# prospect

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹɑspɛkt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɹɒspɛkt/
**Frequency rank:** 9920

## Meanings
1. The chance or likelihood that something will happen, often something good.
2. Opportunities for future success, especially in a career.
3. To search an area for valuable minerals such as gold or oil.

## Examples
- There is little prospect of finding a job here.
- Her prospects as a writer are excellent.
- They went into the hills to prospect for gold.

## Derived Forms
- bioprospect
- nonprospect
- prospectless
- prospector
- unprospected

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *speḱ-
- Root: prospecte
- Root: prōspectus

## Etymology
From Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus (“view, sight, prospect; panorama”), from prōspiciō (“to look forward”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns), from pro (“before, forward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look, to see”). By surface analysis, pro- + -spect. Doublet of prospectus and prospekt. The verb is from the noun.

## AI Etymology
Prospect comes from Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus (“view, sight, prospect; panorama”), from prōspiciō (“to look forward”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns), from pro (“before, forward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look, to see”). By surface analysis, pro- + -spect. Doublet of prospectus and prospekt. The verb is from the noun. In present-day English it covers the chance or likelihood that something will happen, often something good, opportunities for future success, especially in a career, and to search an area for valuable minerals such as gold or oil. The wider family includes derived forms such as bioprospect, nonprospect, prospectless, prospector, unprospected.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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