prospective
Likely to come
Prospective describes something expected or likely to happen in the future: a prospective buyer, a prospective employee, a prospective student.
The word emphasizes anticipation rather than certainty—a prospective buyer might not buy, a prospective student might not enroll.
We interviewed several prospective candidates for the position.
Time still to come
- upcomingSoon to occur
- forthcomingSoon to appear
- expectedRegarded as likely
- anticipatedExpected in advance
planned · intended · projected · pending · eventual · imminent · approaching · incoming
Able to occur
- likelyHaving good odds
- probableLikely to occur
- conceivableAble to be imagined
- hypotheticalAssumed but unproven
presumptive · contingent · conditional · speculative · theoretical · would-be · hopeful · promising
One who formally requests
- aspirantOne seeking advancement
- recruitNew member sought
- enrolleeOne officially signed up
- hireTake on for work
student · buyer · client · customer · tenant · member · employee · investor
Prediction of future conditions
- projectionSomething that extends outward
- prognosisPredicted disease course
- expectationBelief about future outcomes
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
estimation · prediction · scenario · feasibility · analysis · evaluation · appraisal · preview
future
Time still to come
- upcomingSoon to occur
- forthcomingSoon to appear
- expectedRegarded as likely
anticipated · planned · intended · projected · pending · eventual · imminent · approaching · incoming · impending
possible
Able to occur
- likelyHaving good odds
- probableLikely to occur
- conceivableAble to be imagined
hypothetical · presumptive · contingent · conditional · speculative · theoretical · would-be · hopeful · promising · emergent
applicant
One who formally requests
hire · student · buyer · client · customer · tenant · member · employee · investor · partner
forecast
Prediction of future conditions
- projectionSomething that extends outward
- prognosisPredicted disease course
- expectationBelief about future outcomes
assessment · estimation · prediction · scenario · feasibility · analysis · evaluation · appraisal · preview · foresight
- research methodsexperiment, hypothesis, deduction, experiments, induction
- verb aspectsperfective, progressive, habitual, stative, continuous
- timesecond, minute, hour, day, seconds
- cautioncareful, be careful, cautious, caution, watch out
- government termslegislative, federal agencies, congressional, state agencies, parliamentary
- membership statusmember, non-member, active, inactive, pending
prospectiveretrospective
Reviewing what came before
retroactive · past · former · previous · prior
prospectiveimpossible
Incapable of occurring
unattainable · ruled out · excluded · disqualified · ineligible
- prospective partnerPotential romantic match