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Webster 1913 Edition

Prompt

Prompt

(prŏmt; 215)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Prompter
;
sup
erl.
Promptest
.]
[F.
prompt
, L.
promptus
, properly, brought forth (to light or view), hence, visible, evident, at hand, ready, quick, – p. p. of
promere
to take or bring forth;
pro
forth +
emere
to take. See
Redeem
. ]
1.
Ready and quick to act as occasion demands; meeting requirements readily; not slow, dilatory, or hesitating in decision or action; responding on the instant; immediate;
as,
prompt
in obedience or compliance
; – said of persons.
Very discerning and
prompt
in giving orders.
Clarendon.
Tell him I am
prompt

To lay my crown at’s feet.
Shakespeare
And you, perhaps, too
prompt
in your replies.
Dryden.
2.
Done or rendered quickly, readily, or immediately; given without delay or hesitation; – said of conduct;
as,
prompt
assistance
.
When Washington heard the voice of his country in distress,
his obedience was
prompt
.
Ames.
3.
Easy; unobstructed.
[Obs.]
The reception of the light into the body of the building was very
prompt
.
Sir H. Wotton.
Syn. – Ready; expeditious; quick; agile; alert; brisk; nimble.
–
Prompt
,
Ready
,
Expeditious
. One who is ready is prepared to act at the moment. One who is prompt acts at the moment. One who is expeditious carries through an undertaking with constant promptness.

Prompt

,
Noun.
(Com.)
A limit of time given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit varying with different goods. See
Prompt-note
.
To cover any probable difference of price which might arise before the expiration of the
prompt
, which for this article [tea] is three months.
J. S. Mill.

Prompt

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Prompted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Prompting
.]
1.
To assist or induce the action of; to move to action; to instigate; to incite.
God first . . .
prompted
on the infirmities of the infant world by temporal prosperity.
Jer. Taylor.
2.
To suggest; to dictate.
And whispering angles
prompt
her golden dreams.
Pope.
3.
To remind, as an actor or an orator, of words or topics forgotten.

Webster 1828 Edition

Prompt

PROMPT

,
Adj.
[L. promptus, from promo.]
1.
Ready and quick to act as occasion demands.
Very discerning and prompt in giving orders.
2.
Of a ready disposition; acting with cheerful alacrity; as prompt in obedience or compliance.
Tell him
I'm prompt to lay my crown at's feet.
3.
Quick; ready; not dilatory; applied to things; as, he manifested a prompt obedience; he yielded prompt assistance.
When Washington heard the voice of his country in distress, his obedience was prompt.
4.
Quick; hasty; indicating boldness or forwardness.
And you perhaps too prompt in your replies.
5.
Ready; present; told down; as prompt payment.
6.
Easy; unobstructed.

PROMPT

,
Verb.
T.
To incite; to move or excite to action or exertion; to instigate. Insults prompt anger or revenge; love prompts desire; benevolence prompts men to devote their time and services to spread the gospel. Ambition prompted Alexander to wish for more worlds to conquer.
1.
To assist a speaker when at a loss, by pronouncing the words forgotten or next in order, as to prompt an actor; or to assist a learner, by suggesting something forgotten or not understood.
2.
To dictate; to suggest to the mind.
And whisp'ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
3.
To remind. [Not used.]

Definition 2024

prompt

prompt

English

Adjective

prompt ‎(comparative more prompt, superlative most prompt)

  1. (archaic) Ready, willing (to act).
    • 1623, William Shakespeare, Antony & Cleopatra, III.8:
      Tell him, I am prompt To lay my Crowne at's feete, and there to kneele.
  2. Quick, acting without delay.
    He was very prompt at getting a new job.
  3. On time, punctual.
    Be prompt for your appointment.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

prompt ‎(plural prompts)

  1. A reminder or cue.
  2. (business, dated) A time limit given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit varying with different goods.
    • John Stuart Mill
      To cover any probable difference of price which might arise before the expiration of the prompt, which for this article [tea] is three months.
  3. (computing) A symbol that appears on a monitor to indicate that the computer is ready to receive input.
    I filled in my name where the prompt appeared on the computer screen but my account wasn't recognized.
  4. (writing) A suggestion for inspiration given to an author.

Translations

Verb

prompt ‎(third-person singular simple present prompts, present participle prompting, simple past and past participle prompted)

  1. (transitive) To lead someone toward what they should say or do.
    I prompted him to get a new job.
    • 2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC:
      The only sour note on a virtually perfect night for England came from shameful 'monkey' chanting aimed at Ashley Cole and Ashley Young from a section of Bulgaria's fans which later prompted an official complaint from the Football Association to Uefa.
  2. (theater and television) To show or tell an actor/person the words they should be saying, or actions they should be doing.
    If he forgets his words I will prompt him.
  3. To initiate; to cause or lead to.
    • 2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 27:
      On October 6, 1927, Warner Bros. released The Jazz Singer, the first sound-synched feature film, prompting a technological shift of unprecedented speed and unstoppable force. Within two years, nearly every studio release was a talkie.

Derived terms

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:advise

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin promptus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pʁɔ̃/ or /pʁɔ̃pt/

Adjective

prompt m ‎(feminine singular prompte, masculine plural prompts, feminine plural promptes)

  1. prompt, swift, quick

Norman

Etymology

From Latin prōmptus, past participle of prōmō ‎(“I take, bring out, produce, bring to light”).

Adjective

prompt m

  1. (Jersey) hasty

Derived terms

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French, from Latin derived from promere ‎(“bring out”)

Adverb

prompt

  1. quickly and punctually; promptly

Adjective

prompt (masculine prompt; feminine prompt; neuter prompt; plural prompt; comparative mer prompt; superlative mest prompt)

  1. quick and punctual; prompt

References

Etymology

From Middle French prompt, from Latin prōmptus ‎(“visible, apparent, evident”), past participle of prōmō ‎(“to take or bring out or forth, produce, bring to light”), from prō ‎(“forth, forward”) + emō ‎(“to take, acquire, buy”).

Pronunciation

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