Prospective means expected or likely to happen in the future, or describes someone who might become something. When college admissions offices talk about prospective students, they mean young people who haven't enrolled yet but might attend. A prospective buyer for a house is someone interested in purchasing it but hasn't signed the papers.

The word helps us talk about possibilities that haven't become real yet. Your parents might meet with a prospective employer when they're job hunting: someone who could become their boss if they get hired. A team might scout prospective players for next season, people they're considering but haven't chosen yet.

Notice the difference between prospective and perspective. They sound similar but mean completely different things. Perspective refers to a point of view or way of seeing things, while prospective always looks forward to what might happen.

When you think about prospective events or people, you're imagining future possibilities. A prospective trip to the Grand Canyon is one you're planning but haven't taken yet. Once you actually go, it's no longer prospective, it's a real trip.