# prospective

> English word · Adjective · IPA /pɹəˈspɛktɪv/ · frequency rank #8,714

## Definitions
1. Likely or expected to happen or become.
2. Anticipated in the near or far future.
3. Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect.
4. Looking forward in time; acting with foresight.
5. Being a study that starts with the present situation and follows participants into the future
6. Indicating grammatically an activity about to begin.

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

## Easily confused with
- **protective** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prospective-vs-protective)
- **projective** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/projective-vs-prospective)
- **perspective** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/perspective-vs-prospective)
- **prospecting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prospecting-vs-prospective)

## Common misspellings (17)
`porspective`, `pprospective`, `propsective`, `prosepctive`, `prospcetive`, `prospecctive`, `prospecitve`, `prospectiev`, `prospectivve`, `prospecttive`, `prospectvie`, `prospetcive`, `prosppective`, `prosspective`, `prrospective`, `prsopective`, `rpospective`

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