adj · name · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/pɹəʊn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/pɹoʊn/
Texas:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/pɹəʉn/
Australian:/pɹɐʉn/
New-Zealand:/pɹɐʉn/
rhymes with -əʊn
CMU ARPABET:P R OW1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Lying face-down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
prone position
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prostrate
Antonyms: supine
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of the hand, forearm or foot: turned facing away from the body; with the thumb inward or big toe downward.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The hand is in the prone position typically when using a keyboard; and the forearm is then also in the prone position; when the foot is resting on the inner side of the sole, it is in the prone position.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Having a downward inclination or slope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Shooting from a position while lying down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, military, politics, video-games, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Predisposed, liable, inclined, given (to something) (most often, specifically to being befallen by an unsought bad outcome, rather than to undertaking a willful behavior or to having a happy accident).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
prone to failure
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
Alternative form of Prome (“the city of Pyay”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To place in a prone position, to place face down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
lying face downward
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prostrate
Antonyms: none provided
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
having a tendency (to); often used in combination
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a child prone to mischief
failure-prone
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English prone, proone, proon, from Latin prōnus (“turned forward, bent or inclined”), from prō (“forward”).
Across languages
Translations
105 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Asturian:
de focicos
— lying face downward; prostrate
Bulgarian:
проснат
(prosnat)
— lying face downward; prostrate
Bulgarian:
легнал по очи
(legnal po oči)
— lying face downward; prostrate
Catalan:
pron
— lying face downward; prostrate
Catalan:
bocaterrós
— lying face downward; prostrate
Czech:
na břiše
— lying face downward; prostrate
Czech:
nicí
— lying face downward; prostrate
Esperanto:
surventra
— lying face downward; prostrate
Finnish:
vatsallaan
— lying face downward; prostrate
Finnish:
mahallaan
— lying face downward; prostrate
Finnish:
kasvoillaan
— lying face downward; prostrate
Finnish:
rähmällään
— lying face downward; prostrate
French:
couché sur le ventre
— lying face downward; prostrate
Galician:
de bruzos
— lying face downward; prostrate
German:
in Bauchlage
— lying face downward; prostrate
Greek:
πρηνής
(prinís)
— lying face downward; prostrate
Ancient Greek:
πρανής
(pranḗs)
— lying face downward; prostrate
Italian:
prono
— lying face downward; prostrate
Italian:
prostrato
— lying face downward; prostrate
Italian:
inchinato
— lying face downward; prostrate
Italian:
reclino
— lying face downward; prostrate
Italian:
a pancia in giù
— lying face downward; prostrate
Latin:
prōnus
— lying face downward; prostrate
Māori:
tāpapa
— lying face downward; prostrate
Norwegian:
legge seg flat
— lying face downward; prostrate
Occitan:
amorrat
— lying face downward; prostrate
Occitan:
abocat
— lying face downward; prostrate
Old English:
neowol
— lying face downward; prostrate
Portuguese:
de bruços
— lying face downward; prostrate
Russian:
лежа́щий ничко́м
(ležáščij ničkóm)
— lying face downward; prostrate
Russian:
лицо́м вниз
(licóm vniz)
— lying face downward; prostrate
Slovak:
doluznačky
— lying face downward; prostrate
Spanish:
postrado
— lying face downward; prostrate
Spanish:
de bruces
— lying face downward; prostrate
Spanish:
decúbito prono
— lying face downward; prostrate