prompt

Etymology

From 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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹɒmpt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹɑmpt/
• Rhymes: -ɒmpt

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.

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.

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.

2. (transitive, 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. (transitive) To initiate; to cause or lead to.
   • 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.

   • 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.

Further reading

• prompt in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• prompt in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• prompt at OneLook Dictionary Search

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adverb

prompt

1. immediately

   Hij betaalde prompt.

   He paid promptly.

   Synonym: meteen

Etymology

Inherited from Latin promptus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ̃/, /pʁɔ̃pt/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

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

1. prompt, swift, quick

Further reading

• “prompt” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

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

Adjective

prompt m

1. (Jersey) hasty

Alternative forms

• prompte

Etymology

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

Adverb

prompt

1. quickly and punctually; promptly

Adjective

prompt (singular and plural prompt, comparative mer prompt, superlative mest prompt)

1. quick and punctual; prompt

References

• “prompt” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “prompt” in The Ordnett Dictionary