Reading Theme:
Prospect: Meaning, Examples, and Usage (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：future opportunity (prospect)
prospect
/ˈprɑː.spekt/
n.
The chance that something good might happen in the future.
future opportunity
➕
/ˈfjuːtʃər ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti/
n.
The chance or hope that something good will happen in the future.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Latin prospicere (pro- "forward" + specere "to look"), meaning "to look forward".
💡 Mnemonic
Pro- forward + spect- look => look forward to a bright future opportunity.
📖 Example
The prospect of studying abroad filled her with excitement for the upcoming campus life.
The possibility of studying abroad excited her about the coming campus life.
🔗 Collocations
prospect of – the chance of something happening
in prospect – expected to happen soon
prospect for – the possibility of achieving something
🔄 Synonyms
possibility (n.) – A thing that may happen or be the case.
chance (n.) – The possibility of something happening.
likelihood (n.) – The probability of something being the case.
🚫 Antonyms
certainty (n.) – Something that is known to be true or sure to happen.
impossibility (n.) – The state of not being able to happen or be done.
hopelessness (n.) – A feeling of having no chance of success.
🌱 Derivatives
prospective (adj.) – Likely to happen or become something in the future.
prospector (n.) – A person who searches for mineral deposits, especially gold.
prospectus (n.) – A document describing the main features of a school, business, or project.
📖 Cultural Story
Prospect comes from Latin 'prospicere' (pro- 'forward' + specere 'to look'), originally 'to look forward'. It evolved to mean future possibility, used widely in careers and weather forecasts.
Meaning 2：future likelihood (prospect)
prospect
/ˈprɑː.spekt/
n.
The possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring.
future likelihood
➕
/ˈfjuːtʃər ˈlaɪklihʊd/
n.
The possibility or likelihood that something particular will happen.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
There is little prospect of heavy rain this weekend, so our picnic plans should be safe.
The chance of heavy rain this weekend is low, so our picnic plans are likely safe.
🔗 Collocations
prospect of rain – the likelihood that rain will occur
in prospect – expected to happen in the near future
prospect for improvement – the possibility that things will get better
🔄 Synonyms
probability (n.) – The extent to which something is likely to happen.
chance (n.) – The possibility of something happening.
likelihood (n.) – The probability of something being the case.
🚫 Antonyms
certainty (n.) – Something that is definitely going to happen.
improbability (n.) – The state of being unlikely to happen.
hopelessness (n.) – A feeling of having no chance of success.
🌱 Derivatives
prospective (adj.) – Likely to happen or become something in the future.
prospector (n.) – A person who searches for valuable resources.
prospectus (n.) – A document outlining future plans or offerings.
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser