# prose

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹəʊz/ · frequency rank #10,913

## Definitions
1. Language, particularly written language, not intended as poetry.
2. Language which evinces little imagination or animation; dull and commonplace discourse.
3. A hymn with no regular meter, sometimes introduced into the Mass.

## Etymology
From Middle English prose, from Old French prose, from Latin prōsa (“straightforward”) from the term prōsa ōrātiō (“a straightforward speech – i.e. without the ornaments of verse”).
further etymology and related terms
The term prōsa (“straightforward”), a colloquial form of prorsa (“straight forwards”), the feminine form prorsus (“straight forwards”), from Old Latin prōvorsus (“moving straight ahead”), from pro- (“forward”) + vorsus (“turned”), form of vertō (“I turn”). Compare verse.

## Easily confused with
- **PRS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prs)
- **Prot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prot)
- **proud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proud)
- **prove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prove)
- **pulse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-pulse)
- **purse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-purse)
- **proxy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proxy)
- **proto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proto)
- **prune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prune)
- **Provo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-provo)
- **prowl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prowl)
- **prude** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prude)
- **proved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proved)
- **proven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proven)
- **proves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proves)
- **Proust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-proust)
- **purpose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-purpose)
- **prosper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prosper)
- **Prosser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prose-vs-prosser)
- **pro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pro-vs-prose)

## Common misspellings (7)
`porse`, `pprose`, `proes`, `prosse`, `prrose`, `prsoe`, `rpose`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prose