prospective

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pro=spec=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

prospective, a. [L. prospectivus: cf. F. prospectif. See Prospect, n.].

•  Of or pertaining to a prospect; furnishing a prospect; perspective.  [1913 Webster]

  "Time's long and dark prospective glass."  [1913 Webster]
•  Looking forward in time; acting with foresight; -- opposed to retrospective.  [1913 Webster]

  "The French king of Sweden are circumspect, industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair."  [1913 Webster]
•  Being within view or consideration, as a future event or contingency; relating to the future: expected; as, a prospective benefit.  [1913 Webster]

  "Points on which the promises, at the time of ordination, had no prospective bearing."  [1913 Webster]

prospective, n. 

•  The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.  Sir H. Wotton.  [1913 Webster]
•  A perspective glass.  Chaucer. Beau. & Fl.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

prospective, adj.
1 concerned with or applying to the future (implies a prospective obligation) (cf. RETROSPECTIVE).
2 some day to be; expected; future (prospective bridegroom).

Derivative

prospectively adv. prospectiveness n.

Etymology

obs. F prospectif -ive or LL prospectivus (as PROSPECTUS)

THESAURUS

prospective

anticipated, approaching, awaited, coming, desired, destinal, destined, determined, due, emergent, eventual, expected, extrapolated, fatal, fated, fatidic, foreseen, forthcoming, future, futuristic, hereafter, hoped-for, imminent, impending, in prospect, in view, incipient, later, long-expected, nearing, on the horizon, overdue, pending, planned, plotted, potential, predicted, presumed, probable, projected, promised, prophesied, to come, to-be, ultimate

ROGET THESAURUS

prospective

Expectation

N expectation, expectance, expectancy, anticipation, reckoning, calculation, foresight, contemplation, prospection, lookout, prospect, perspective, horizon, vista, destiny, suspense, waiting, abeyance, curiosity, anxious expectation, ardent expectation, eager expectation, breathless expectation, sanguine expectation, torment of Tantalus, hope, trust, auspices, assurance, confidence, presumption, reliance, expectant, expecting, in expectation, on the watch, open-eyed, open-mouthed, in wide-eyed anticipation, agape, gaping, all agog, on tenterhooks, on tiptoe, on the tiptoe of expectation, aux aguets, ready, curious, looking forward to, expected, long expected, foreseen, in prospect, prospective, in one's eye, in one's view, in the horizon, on the horizon, just over the horizon, just around the corner, around the corner, impending, on the watch, with breathless expectation, with bated breath, with rapt anticipation, arrectis auribus, we shall see, nous verrons, expectation whirls me round, the light at the end of the tunnel.

Foresight

N foresight, prospicience, prevision, long- sightedness, anticipation, providence, forethought, forecast, predeliberation, presurmise, foregone conclusion, prudence, foreknowledge, prognosis, precognition, prescience, prenotion, presentiment, second sight, sagacity, antepast, prelibation, prophasis, prospect, foretaste, prospectus, foreseeing, prescient, farseeing, farsighted, sagacious, weatherwise, provident, prospective, against the time when, cernit omnia Deus vindex, mihi cura futuri, run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.