prospective, a. and n.
(prəʊˈspɛktɪv)
[As adj. ad. obs. F. prospectif, -ive, or med.L. prōspectīv-us belonging to or affording a prospect, f. L. prōspect-, ppl. stem of prōspic-ĕre: see prospect n. and -ive. As n. a. obs. F. prospective (1553 in Godef.) a view, prospect; but in senses 1 and 2 short for prospective glass. Sometimes corresponding to the earlier perspective, q.v.]
A. adj.
1. Characterized by looking forward into the future; also, † having foresight or care for the future; provident (obs.).
| c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon xiii. 12 By prospective skill I find this day shall fall out ominous. 1658 A. Fox tr. Würtz' Surg. ii. xiv. 100 Be moderate, prospective, and cautious in stitching, and not too hasty. 1690 Child Disc. Trade Pref. (1694) C vj b, The French King and King of Sweden are..circumspect, industrious and prospective too in this Affair. 1850 L. Hunt Autobiog. II. ix. 7 He was a retrospective rather than a prospective man. |
† 2. Used or suitable for looking forward or viewing at a distance (lit. and fig.). prospective stone: cf. prospective glass 1. Obs.
| 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 128 That olde Witch Lamea, who as the Poets frame, had broade prospectiue eyes to pull out and in at pleasure. a 1635 Naunton Fragm. Reg. (Arb.) 60 It seemes nature..to pleasure him the more, borrowed of Argus, so to give unto him a prospective sight. 1652 Ashmole Theat. Chem. Brit. Prol. 8 By the Magicall or Prospective Stone it is possible to discover any Person in what part of the World soever. |
† 3. Fitted to afford a fine prospect or extensive view. Hence fig. Elevated, high, lofty. Obs.
| 1588 Greene Metamorphosis Wks. (Grosart) IX. 88 Desirous to heare what the meaning of this monument seated so prospectiue to Neptune, should be. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv. 139 Being situate on moderate prospectiue heights. Ibid. ix. 416 A pleasant and prospectiue Countrey. a 1814 Apostate iii. iii. in New Brit. Theatre III. 328 It..cannot be, that one so great, So lofty and prospective in his virtue, Should fall to such perdition. a 1817 T. Dwight Trav. New Eng., etc. (1821) II. 106 Above this plain, after ascending a moderate acclivity, lies another: both of them handsome grounds, and the latter finely prospective. |
4. a. That looks or has regard to the future; operative with regard to the future.
| 1800 Proc. E. Ind. Ho. in Asiat. Ann. Reg. 112/1 The usages and customs of this country have authorised a certain species of oaths, which he would denominate prospective oaths, as they generally are so. 1802 Paley Nat. Theol. xiv. §2 (ed. 2) 275 It is not very easy to conceive a more evidently prospective contrivance, than that which, in all viviparous animals, is found in the milk of the female parent. 1828 Macaulay Ess., Hallam (1887) 58 A prospective law, however severe,..would have been mercy itself compared with this odious act. 1868 M. Pattison Academ. Org. v. 188 The fellowship should convey a prospective obligation to the prosecution of the studies intended to be promoted by the endowment. 1884 Sir J. Pearson in Law Rep. 27 Chanc. Div. 354 The language of the 26th section is entirely prospective and not retrospective. |
b. Gram. Denoting a tense of a verb which is present in form but implies a future action or state.
| 1931 O. Jespersen S.P.E. Tract XXXVI. 528 This leads to the use of is going to with an infinitive as what may be called a prospective present, and was going to as a prospective past. 1963 L. R. Palmer Interpretation of Mycenaean Gk. Texts 51 On the ‘prospective’ form e-ke-qe, which I formerly interpreted phonetically as a future, see p. 190. Ibid. 190 The facts thus suggest that the addition of the particle -qe to the verb gives it ‘prospective’ force. |
5. That looks forward or is looked forward to; that is in prospect; expected, hoped for; future.
| 1829 Southey Sir T. More (1831) I. 372 No measure which indicates prospective policy was taken. 1853 C. Brontë Villette xii, All the pupils above fourteen knew of some prospective bridegroom. 1863 Fawcett Pol. Econ. ii. iii. 150 Not only a large prospective but even a large immediate profit would be returned. 1884 Truth 13 Mar. 376/2 A silly lordling and prospective peer. |
B. n. Formerly (ˈprɒspɛktɪv).
† 1. A magic mirror: = prospective glass 1. Also fig. Obs.
| [a 1430: see perspective n. 2, note.] 1595 Daniel Delia xxii, This heart made now the prospectiue of care. 1596 C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 76 Highe throne, wherein all vertues made their seate, True prospective of immortalitie. 1604 Daniel Vis. 12 Goddesses Ded., And withal delivers her a Prospective, wherein she might behold the Figures of their Deities, and thereby describe them. 1625 Bacon Ess., Seeming Wise (Arb.) 215 It is a Ridiculous Thing..to see what shifts these Formalists haue, and what Prospectiues, to make Superficies to seeme Body, that hath Depth and Bulke. 1626 ― Sylva §98 Such Superficiall Speculations they have; Like Prospectives, that shew things inward, when they are but Paintings. |
† 2. A field-glass, spy-glass, or telescope; pl. spectacles; = prospective glass 2. Also fig. Obs.
| 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Fennor's Defence Wks. ii. 149/2, I haue look't ouer with my best Prospectiues, And view'd the tenor of thy base Inuectiues. a 1635 Corbet Poems 91 Lastly of fingers, glasses we contrive, And every fist is made a prospective. 1657 W. Morice Coena quasi κοινὴ ii. 35 Turning the wrong end of the Prospective, to make things at hand seem to be far off. 1674 Depos. Cast. York (Surtees) 233 To follow his calling..of pollishing glasses for prospectives and specktacles and mycroscopes. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. i. 14 Those on board the Ship, saw, by their Prospectives, what was acted Ashore. |
3. The action of looking out (lit. or fig.); cf. prospect n. 1. † at prospective: on the look-out (obs.). in prospective: in view (lit. or fig.); in prospect or anticipation. Now rare.
| 1599 B. Jonson Cynthia's Rev. ii. Wks. (Rtldg.) 79/1 A quarter past eleven, and ne'er a nymph in prospective. 1616 J. Lane Cont. Sqr.'s T. xi. 19 But lo, as Canac stoode at prospective, Her glasse discried from farr a troopes arive. 1746–7 Hervey Medit. (1818) 217 Now the day is gone, how short it appears! When my fond eye beheld it in prospective, it seemed a very considerable space. 1866 Mrs. H. Wood St. Martin's Eve ix, Four thousand a year now, and six in prospective! 1978 Times Lit. Suppl. 20 Jan. 69/5 Its rather curious title ‘Mankind in Prospective’ perhaps accords with the book's New World spelling—has ‘prospective’ already evolved into a noun there? |
† 4. A scene, a view: = prospect n. 3. Obs.
| 1599 Porter Angry Wom. Abingd. in Hazl. Dodsley VII. 269 As prospectives, the nearer that they be, Yield better judgment to the judging eye. a 1639 Wotton Life Dk. Buckhm. in Reliq. (1651) 93 The whole Scene of affairs was changed from Spain to France; there now lay the prospective. 1745 P. Thomas Jrnl. Anson's Voy. 188 When the Canal runs in a strait Line, as they usually do, it makes a Prospective at once stately and agreeable. |
† 5. A pictorial view; fig. a description: cf. prospect n. 5, 6. Obs. rare.
| 1658 T. Higgons tr. Busenello (title), A Prospective of the Naval Triumph of the Venetians over the Turk. 1660 (title) A Landskip: or a Brief Prospective of English Episcopacy, Drawn by three skilfull hands in Parliament: Anno 1641. |
† 6. a. A place for viewing, a look-out: = prospect n. 1 b. Obs. rare—1.
| 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle, etc. 145 Be ther placd A prospective vpon the top o' th' mast, Wherin 'tis fitt that carefull diligence Keep evermore his watchfull residence. |
† b. A point of view. Obs.
| 1603 Daniel Def. Rhyme H iv, Men, standing according to the prospectiue of their owne humour, seeme to see the selfe same things to appeare otherwise to them, than either they doe to other, or are indeede in themselues. |
† 7. a. The art of drawing in perspective: = perspective n. 3; also, a perspective view. Obs.
| 1601 B. Jonson Poetaster iii. i, I studie architecture too..I'd haue a house iust of that prospectiue. 1620–55 I. Jones Stone-Heng (1725) 42 The whole Work in Prospective, as when entire. Ibid., The Ruin yet remaining drawn in Prospective. 1662 Gerbier Princ. (1665) 5 An Exact Architect must have the Art of Drawing, and Prospective. 1684 Contempl. St. Man i. ii. (1699) 22 Those who work in Prospective, will so paint a Room, that the Light entring only through some little Hole, you shall perceive beautiful and perfect Figures and Shapes. |
b. Her. (See quot.) Also Comb. prospective-wise, in perspective.
| c 1828 Berry Encycl. Herald. I. Gloss., Perspective, or Prospective, is used, in blazon, to express divisional lines forming a kind of pavement with diminishing squares in perspective, as paly barry, or barry bendy, in perspective, or prospective wise. |