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prompt

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Prompt

English

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Etymology

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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”).[1] Doublet of pronto.

The verb is from Middle English prompen, apparently from the adjective.[2] The noun is from the verb.[3]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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prompt (comparative more prompt, superlative most prompt)

  1. Quick; acting without delay.
    Synonyms: hasty; see also Thesaurus:prompt
    He was very prompt at getting a new job.
    a prompt response
  2. On time; punctual.
    Synonyms: timely; see also Thesaurus:punctual
    Be prompt for your appointment.
  3. (archaic) Ready; willing to act.
    Synonyms: good to go, yare
    • 1623, William Shakespeare, Antony & Cleopatra, act 3, scene 8:
      Tell him, I am prompt / To lay my Crowne at's feete, and there to kneele.
  4. (finance) Front: closest or nearest, in futures trading.
    • 2013 July 5, Davis W. Edwards, Energy Investing DeMystified: A Self-Teaching Guide, McGraw Hill Professional, →ISBN, page 19:
      When physical crude oil transactions are priced, they are usually marked to the prompt month futures contract. The prompt month futures contract is the next futures contract to settle.
    • 2021 May 11, Neil C. Schofield, Commodity Derivatives: Markets and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 448:
      The settlement ratio is determined as follows: i) If the prompt futures price of coal at maturity is less than or equal to the floor price, the ratio will be one.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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prompt (plural prompts)

  1. A reminder or cue.
    1. (theater) A word, phrase or line supplied by a prompter to an actor who has forgotten the script.
    2. (writing) A suggestion for inspiration given to an author.
    3. (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.
    5. (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.
      • 2022 April 15, Steven Johnson, Nikita Iziev, “A.I. Is Mastering Language. Should We Trust What It Says?”, in The New York Times Magazine‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 February 2026:
        For instance, using the “instruct” mode, I once gave GPT-3 the prompt: “Write an essay discussing the role of metafiction in the work of Italo Calvino.”
  2. (business, dated) A time limit given for payment of an account for produce purchased, this limit varying with different goods.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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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.
    Synonyms: counsel, exhort; see also Thesaurus:advise
    I prompted him to get a new job.
  2. (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.
    • 1988, Tad Williams, chapter 5, in The Dragonbone Chair, DAW Books, →ISBN:
      "What is your name, you?" he demanded. The captured youth tried to pull free again, but was obviously tiring. After a moment he stopped his struggling altogether. "Your name?" Simon prompted, this time in a softer tone.
      "Malachias." The youth turned away panting.
    • 2007 December, Margaret Mayo, Helen Brooks, Carole Mortimer, A Presents Christmas Bundle: An Anthology, Harlequin, page 51:
      ‘Be warned, Molly,’ Gideon added harshly. ‘I won't ever let you do or say anything that will hurt Crys. Is that understood?’ he prompted determinedly.
  3. (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.
  4. (transitive) To initiate; to cause or lead to.
    Synonyms: instigate, provoke; see also Thesaurus:incite
    • 1996, Tad Williams, chapter 7, in City of Golden Shadow, Legend Books, →ISBN:
      At first Renie's chain of thought had been prompted by the unsatisfactory nature of phone contact compared to an actual meeting, […]
    • 2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC‎[2], archived from the original on 31 January 2012:
      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.
  5. (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.
  7. (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.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “prompt, adj. and adv.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
  2. ^ “prompt, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
  3. ^ “prompt, n.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Further reading

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Azerbaijani

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Noun

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prompt

  1. alternative form of promt

Dutch

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Borrowed from Middle French prompt, from Latin prōmptus.

Adverb

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prompt

  1. immediately, promptly
    Synonym: meteen
    Hij betaalde prompt.
    He paid promptly.

Adjective

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prompt (not comparable)

  1. quick, immediate
Declension
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Declension of prompt
uninflected prompt
inflected prompte
comparative —
positive
predicative/adverbial prompt
indefinite m./f. sing. prompte
n. sing. prompt
plural prompte
definite prompte
partitive prompts
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Borrowed from English prompt, from Middle French prompt, from Latin prōmptus.

Noun

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prompt m (plural prompts, no diminutive)

  1. (computing) prompt

French

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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    Learned borrowing from Latin promptus.

    Adjective

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

    1. prompt, swift, quick
      Near-synonym: rapide
      prompt rétablissement ― get well soon
    2. (Louisiana) curt
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    Etymology 2

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      Borrowed from English prompt.

      Noun

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      prompt m (plural prompts)

      1. (artificial intelligence) prompt
        • 2024 April 6, Selma Chougar, “Création assistée par IA : cinq astuces pour devenir le Picasso du « prompt art »”, in Le Monde‎[3], Paris: Société éditrice du Monde, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 September 2024:
          Avant même d’écrire son « prompt » (la requête qui permet de générer des textes ou des images), il faut d’abord choisir l’intelligence artificielle (IA) à laquelle on souhaite s’adresser.
          (please add an English translation of this quotation)
      Derived terms
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      Further reading

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      German

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      Etymology

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      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”). Doublet of Prompt.

      Pronunciation

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      Adjective

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      prompt (strong nominative masculine singular prompter, comparative prompter, superlative am promptesten)

      1. immediate, swift, expeditious, prompt
        Synonyms: unverzüglich, umgehend, sofortig

      Declension

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      Positive forms of prompt
      number & gender singular plural
      masculine feminine neuter
      predicative er ist prompt sie ist prompt es ist prompt sie sind prompt
      strong declension
      (without article)       		nominative prompter prompte promptes prompte
      genitive prompten prompter prompten prompter
      dative promptem prompter promptem prompten
      accusative prompten prompte promptes prompte
      weak declension
      (with definite article)       		nominative der prompte die prompte das prompte die prompten
      genitive des prompten der prompten des prompten der prompten
      dative dem prompten der prompten dem prompten den prompten
      accusative den prompten die prompte das prompte die prompten
      mixed declension
      (with indefinite article)       		nominative ein prompter eine prompte ein promptes (keine) prompten
      genitive eines prompten einer prompten eines prompten (keiner) prompten
      dative einem prompten einer prompten einem prompten (keinen) prompten
      accusative einen prompten eine prompte ein promptes (keine) prompten
      Comparative forms of prompt
      number & gender singular plural
      masculine feminine neuter
      predicative er ist prompter sie ist prompter es ist prompter sie sind prompter
      strong declension
      (without article)       		nominative prompterer promptere prompteres promptere
      genitive prompteren prompterer prompteren prompterer
      dative prompterem prompterer prompterem prompteren
      accusative prompteren promptere prompteres promptere
      weak declension
      (with definite article)       		nominative der promptere die promptere das promptere die prompteren
      genitive des prompteren der prompteren des prompteren der prompteren
      dative dem prompteren der prompteren dem prompteren den prompteren
      accusative den prompteren die promptere das promptere die prompteren
      mixed declension
      (with indefinite article)       		nominative ein prompterer eine promptere ein prompteres (keine) prompteren
      genitive eines prompteren einer prompteren eines prompteren (keiner) prompteren
      dative einem prompteren einer prompteren einem prompteren (keinen) prompteren
      accusative einen prompteren eine promptere ein prompteres (keine) prompteren
      Superlative forms of prompt
      number & gender singular plural
      masculine feminine neuter
      predicative er ist am promptesten sie ist am promptesten es ist am promptesten sie sind am promptesten
      strong declension
      (without article)       		nominative promptester prompteste promptestes prompteste
      genitive promptesten promptester promptesten promptester
      dative promptestem promptester promptestem promptesten
      accusative promptesten prompteste promptestes prompteste
      weak declension
      (with definite article)       		nominative der prompteste die prompteste das prompteste die promptesten
      genitive des promptesten der promptesten des promptesten der promptesten
      dative dem promptesten der promptesten dem promptesten den promptesten
      accusative den promptesten die prompteste das prompteste die promptesten
      mixed declension
      (with indefinite article)       		nominative ein promptester eine prompteste ein promptestes (keine) promptesten
      genitive eines promptesten einer promptesten eines promptesten (keiner) promptesten
      dative einem promptesten einer promptesten einem promptesten (keinen) promptesten
      accusative einen promptesten eine prompteste ein promptestes (keine) promptesten

      Derived terms

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      Adverb

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      prompt

      1. immediately

      Further reading

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      • “prompt”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[4] (in German)
      • “prompt” in Duden online

      Norman

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      Etymology

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

      Adjective

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      prompt m

      1. (Jersey) hasty

      Derived terms

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      Norwegian Bokmål

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      Alternative forms

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      Etymology

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

      Adverb

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      prompt

      1. quickly and punctually; promptly

      Adjective

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

      1. quick and punctual; prompt

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      Portuguese

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      Etymology

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        Unadapted borrowing from English prompt. Doublet of pronto.

        Pronunciation

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        Noun

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        prompt m (plural prompts)

        1. (artificial intelligence) prompt (textual input given to a language model)

        References

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        Romanian

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        Etymology

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        Borrowed from French prompt, from Latin promptus.

        Adjective

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        prompt m or n (feminine singular promptă, masculine plural prompți, feminine/neuter plural prompte)

        1. prompt

        Declension

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        Declension of prompt
        singular plural
        masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
        nominative-
        accusative         		indefinite prompt promptă prompți prompte
        definite promptul prompta prompții promptele
        genitive-
        dative         		indefinite prompt prompte prompți prompte
        definite promptului promptei prompților promptelor

        Spanish

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        Etymology

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          Borrowed from English prompt.

          Pronunciation

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          • IPA(key): /ˈpɾombt/ [ˈpɾõmbt̪]
          • Rhymes: -ombt
          • Syllabification: prompt

          Noun

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          prompt m (plural prompts)

          1. (artificial intelligence) prompt (textual input given to a large language model in order to generate a desired output)

          Swedish

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          Adverb

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          prompt (not comparable)

          1. promptly (immediately)
            Svaret kom prompt
            The answer came promptly
          2. unconditionally, necessarily
            Om du prompt måste göra det så ta det försiktigt
            If you necessarily have to do it, be careful

          Adjective

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          prompt (not comparable)

          1. (in some expressions) prompt (quick)
            prompt leverans
            prompt delivery

          Declension

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          Inflection of prompt
          Indefinite positive comparative superlative1
          common singular prompt — —
          neuter singular prompt — —
          plural prompta — —
          masculine plural2 prompte — —
          Definite positive comparative superlative
          masculine singular3 prompte — —
          all prompta — —

          1 The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
          2 Dated or archaic.
          3 Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

          Noun

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          prompt c

          1. (computing) a prompt
          2. (machine learning) a prompt

          Declension

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          Declension of prompt
          nominative genitive
          singular indefinite prompt prompts
          definite prompten promptens
          plural indefinite promptar promptars
          definite promptarna promptarnas

          References

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          Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=prompt&oldid=94568297"