A prophet is someone who claims to speak messages from God or to see the future through divine inspiration. In many religions, prophets are considered special messengers chosen to deliver important teachings, warnings, or predictions to their communities.

Outside of religion, the word prophet is used to describe anyone who correctly predicts future events or warns about what's coming. A scientist who warned about pandemics before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 might be called a prophet. An inventor who sees how technology will change society could be described as a prophet of the digital age. As an adjective, prophetic means having unusual insight into what's ahead.

Be careful not to confuse prophet with profit (money earned from business), even though they sound the same. A prophet delivers messages; a profit goes into your bank account.