Wordnet 3.0
ADJECTIVE (1)
1.
of or concerned with or related to the future;
- Example: "prospective earnings"- Example: "a prospective mother"- Example: "a prospective bride"- Example: "the statute is solely prospective in operation"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Prospective \Pro*spec"tive\, n.
1. The scene before or around, in time or in space; view;
prospect. --Sir H. Wotton.
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2. A perspective glass. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Beau. & Fl.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Prospective \Pro*spec"tive\, a. [L. prospectivus: cf. F.
prospectif. See Prospect, n.]
1. Of or pertaining to a prospect; furnishing a prospect;
perspective. [Obs.]
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Time's long and dark prospective glass. --Milton.
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2. Looking forward in time; acting with foresight; -- opposed
to retrospective.
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The French king of Sweden are circumspect,
industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair.
--Sir J.
Child.
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3. Being within view or consideration, as a future event or
contingency; relating to the future: expected; as, a
prospective benefit.
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Points on which the promises, at the time of
ordination, had no prospective bearing. --W. Jay.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
prospective
adj 1: of or concerned with or related to the future;
"prospective earnings"; "a prospective mother"; "a
prospective bride"; "the statute is solely prospective in
operation" [ant: retrospective]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
45 Moby Thesaurus words for "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
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
PROSPECTIVE. That which is applicable to the future; it is used in
opposition to retrospective. To be just, a law ought always to be
prospective. 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 116.