Word
prospectus
Phoneticsprospec·tus
US/pɹəˈspɛktəs/
UK/pɹəspˈɛktəs/
Definition
n. a printed document that gives details about a school, university, or business. It helps people decide if they want to join or invest in it.
n. a formal document describing the features of a school, business, or financial investment to prospective participants or buyers. Often used in academic and corporate contexts to outline goals and terms.
Examples
“I read the university prospectus before applying.”
“The company issued a detailed prospectus to attract potential investors before its initial public offering.”
“While the college prospectus highlights the modern laboratory facilities, many students find that the actual curriculum is more focused on theoretical research than practical application.”
Examples
simple
“I read the university prospectus before applying.”
contextual
“The company issued a detailed prospectus to attract potential investors before its initial public offering.”
complex
“While the college prospectus highlights the modern laboratory facilities, many students find that the actual curriculum is more focused on theoretical research than practical application.”
Usage
The plural form is usually 'prospectuses'; the Latin-style 'prospecti' is generally considered incorrect.
Real-World Examples
“As Anthropic prepares for an IPO listing, which could value the AI company at a monumental $2tn, it dedicated almost a third of its prospectus to discussing concerns around AI safety.” “All these would need to be disclosed fully in an IPO prospectus.” Etymology
From French prospectus (“a prospectus”), borrowed from Latin prospectus. Doublet of prospect.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/prospectus