prospective

Etymology

From Middle French prospectif, from Late Latin prospectivus.

adj

1. Likely or expected to happen or become.
   Prospective students are those who have already applied to the university, but have yet to be admitted.
2. Anticipated in the near or far future.
3. Of or relating to a prospect; furnishing a prospect.
4. Looking forward in time; acting with foresight.
   1668-1690, Josiah Child, A new discourse of trade The French king, and the king of Sweden are […] circumspect, industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair.
5. (medicine, of research) A study that starts with the present situation and follows participants into the future
6. (grammar) Indicating grammatically an activity about to begin.
   What some other languages convey with prospective aspect, English conveys with expressions like going to drive the car home.

noun

1. (obsolete) The scene before or around, in time or in space; view; prospect.
   the whole Scene of affairs was changed from Spain to France there now lay the prospective 1642, Henry Wotton, A Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers
2. (obsolete) A perspective glass.
3. 1613 March 2 (first performance), Francis Beaumont, “The Masque of the Inner-Temple and Gray’s Inn, Gray’s Inn and the Inner-Temple;[…]”, in The Dramatic Works of Ben Jonson, and Beaumont and Fletcher:[…], volume IV, London: […] John Stockdale,[…], published 1811, →OCLC, page 573, column 2:
4. (informal, often plural) A prospective (potential) member, student, employee, date, partner, etc.
   Would you like to show the prospective around?
   I'm meeting the prospectives at 3.
   At the moment, meeting interesting, 'could be, maybe not' prospectives around the globe keeps her entertained. 2006, Verve: The Spirit of Today's Woman, volume 14, numbers 4-6, page 114