Skip to main content
prospectively

prospectively

2 6.7
To think about and plan for the future
  • adverb
  • /prəˈspɛktɪvli/
: prospectivamente
  • We should prepare prospectively for potential challenges in the upcoming project to ensure success.
  • prospectively studied
  • prospectively evaluated
  • prospectively investigate

Examples

  • The committee will prospectively review all applications for the new grant program starting next month.

  • The operating room data were recorded prospectively as part of a continuous quality-improvement project.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Future research should investigate this issue prospectively, particularly for hazardous drinking.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Patients were included prospectively by using consecutive inclusion from January 2010 to December 2011 at each site.

    Academic text (2015)
  • All the provisions of Chapter 14 also apply prospectively to states and provinces.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Although we used a prospectively recruited sample, it was not population-based.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Patients were studied prospectively with regard to technical difficulty, complications, and cosmetic outcome.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The present investigation was unique in that it prospectively examined motivational differences in participants preparing for their first marathon.

    Academic text (2007)
  • During a 12-week period in 2013, we prospectively assessed these refinements using actual surveillance data.

    Academic text (2015)
  • In addition to national epidemiologic surveillance, we prospectively collected clinical information for all laboratory-confirmed infections.

    Academic text (2012)

Antonyms

Looking back at events after they have happened

How Future-Focused

proactively
12 4.4
prospectively
2 6.7
currently
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

prospectively positive

Morphology

prospectively = prospective (transparent) = prospect + ive + ly

Adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'prospective' yields the straightforward meaning 'in a prospective/future-oriented way'.

Etymology

Prospectively comes from the parts pro- meaning 'forward' and spect meaning 'to look', the same root you see in inspect. So, to act prospectively is to 'look forward' and plan or think about the future.