noun · 5 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.
/pɹəsˈpɛktəs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R AH0 S P EH1 K T AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A document, distributed to prospective members, investors, buyers, or participants, which describes an institution (such as a university), a publication, or a business and what it has to offer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A document which describes a proposed endeavor (venture, undertaking), such as a literary work (which one proposes to write).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A booklet or other document giving details of a share offer for the benefit of investors.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a catalog listing the courses offered by a college or university
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: course catalog, course catalogue
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: catalog, catalogue
Narrower terms: preliminary prospectus, red herring
5
noun
Meaning 5
a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a prospectus should contain the facts that an investor needs to make an informed decision
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: offer, offering
History
Etymology
From French prospectus (“a prospectus”), borrowed from Latin prospectus. Doublet of prospect and prospekt.
Across languages
Translations
27 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ազդագիր
(azdagir)
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Bulgarian:
проспект
(prospekt)
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Catalan:
prospecte
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Chinese Mandarin:
宣傳冊 /宣传册
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Chinese Mandarin:
簡介文件 /简介文件
(jiǎnjiè wénjiàn)
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Chinese Mandarin:
招募說明書 /招募说明书
(zhāomù shuōmíngshū)
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Finnish:
esite
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
French:
prospectus
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
German:
Prospekt
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Hungarian:
ismertető
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Hungarian:
prospektus
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Icelandic:
kynningarbæklingur
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Indonesian:
prospektus
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Norwegian Bokmål:
prospekt
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Norwegian Nynorsk:
prospekt
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Russian:
проспект
(prospekt)
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Spanish:
prospecto
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Ukrainian:
проспе́кт
(prospékt)
— document which describes an institution, publication or business
Chinese Mandarin:
企劃案 /企划案
— document which describes a proposed endeavor
Chinese Mandarin:
項目提案 /项目提案
(xiàngmù tí'àn)
— document which describes a proposed endeavor
Chinese Mandarin:
計劃書 /计划书
(jìhuàshū)
— document which describes a proposed endeavor
Finnish:
esite
— document which describes a proposed endeavor
Spanish:
prospecto
— document which describes a proposed endeavor
Chinese Mandarin:
招股說明書 /招股说明书
(zhāogǔ shuōmíngshū)
— booklet or other document giving details of a share offer
Chinese Mandarin:
股份公開說明書 /股份公开说明书
(gǔfèn gōngkāi shuōmíngshū)
— booklet or other document giving details of a share offer
Finnish:
esite
— booklet or other document giving details of a share offer
Spanish:
prospecto
— booklet or other document giving details of a share offer
