prompt
UK /pɹɒmpt/ · US /pɹɑmpt/ adjective, noun, verb
Forms prompts prompting prompted
- adjective Quick; acting without delay. “He was very prompt at getting a new job.”
- adjective On time; punctual. “Be prompt for your appointment.”
- adjective (archaic) Ready; willing to act.
- adjective (finance) Front: closest or nearest, in futures trading.
- noun (theater) A word, phrase or line supplied by a prompter to an actor who has forgotten the script.
- noun (writing) A suggestion for inspiration given to an author.
- noun (computing) A sequence of characters that is displayed to indicate that a 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.”
- noun (machine learning) Textual input given to a large language model or image model in order to have it generate a desired output. “I struggled to come up with a prompt that would give me the exact image I had in mind.”
- noun (business, dated) A time limit given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit varying with different goods.
- verb (transitive) To lead (someone) toward what they should say or do. “I prompted him to get a new job.”
- verb (transitive) To say (something) in order to help or encourage someone to speak. “"How did you solve the issue then?" Jason prompted while staring at Lana.”
- verb (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.”
- verb (transitive) To initiate; to cause or lead to.
- verb (transitive, computing) To request (a user) to provide input or do something on a computer. “The script prompted him to enter his credit account number.”
- verb (transitive, machine learning) To provide textual input in the form of ordinary language to (an artificial intelligence or language model) to have it generate a desired output. “I want to prompt this new AI art generator to create an image of a panda riding a bike.”
Synonyms
hasty timely in time on time punctual seasonable good to go yare fast alacritous now on the double post-haste quick quick as a wink rapid rash right away soon speedy prompting command prompt motivate actuate propel move incite inspire instigate remind
Antonyms
havering hesitant hesitative tremulous trepidatious vacillatory
Etymology
The adjective is from Middle English prompte, from Middle French prompt and its etymon 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”). Doublet of pronto.
The verb is from Middle English prompen, apparently from the adjective. The noun is from the verb.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective 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.
- adjective Done or rendered quickly, readily, or immediately; given without delay or hesitation; --said of conduct; as, prompt assistance.
- noun A limit of time given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit varying with different goods. See Prompt-note.
- verb To assist or induce the action of; to move to action; to instigate; to incite.
Etymology [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.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “prompt”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details