prospectus
noun
Did you know?
Prospectus Is a Word for the Forward-Thinking
Like prospect, prospectus looks forward. Thus, a prospectus originally outlined something that didn't yet exist, describing what it would become. This might even be a book; the great dictionary of Noah Webster, like that of Samuel Johnson, was first announced in the form of a prospectus, so that well-to-do people might actually subscribe to it—that is, pay for it in advance so that Webster would have money to live on while writing it. Soon, prospectus was being used to mean a description of a private school or college, intended to attract new students. Today the word very often means a description of a stock offering or mutual fund, whether new or not.
Examples of prospectus in a Sentence
Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 17 Jan. 2025
This point does not tie with the later case records and prospectus disclosures.
—Ann Rutledge, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
The Celtics grossed $493 million in revenue during the 2023-24 season, according to someone who had reviewed the sales prospectus document from BDT & MSD.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Two of Mao’s sisters and several other relatives also each hold a smaller stake that could be worth another $900 million in total, the company’s prospectus showed.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Asia, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prospectus 
Articles Related to prospectus
Dictionary Entries Near prospectus
Cite this Entry
“Prospectus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prospectus. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prospectus
noun
Legal Definition
prospectus
noun
Note: Under the Securities Act of 1933, the prospectus is part of the registration statement that must be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission before a security may be offered or sold to the public. The Securities Act defines prospectus broadly as “any prospectus, notice, circular, advertisement, letter, or communication, written or by radio or television, which offers any security for sale or confirms the sale of any security.”
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