Meaning & use
prophet
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Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A person believed to speak for God or a divine power, delivering messages or warnings.
Grammar: Often capitalized when naming a specific figure: the Prophet Isaiah.
Patterns
- prophet of something
The prophet warned the people to change their ways.
Many religions honor a prophet who founded their faith.
In the story, the prophet went into the desert alone.
nouncountablefigurative
A person who predicts what will happen in the future.
Grammar: In everyday English used lightly: a prophet of doom.
Patterns
- a prophet of something
She was a prophet of the digital age, predicting smartphones decades earlier.
No economist, however clever, is a true prophet.
Some call him a prophet because he warned about the crash.
nouncountablefigurative
A strong supporter or promoter of a new idea, movement or cause.
Grammar: Followed by of: a prophet of change.
Patterns
- prophet of something
He became the prophet of clean energy in his country.
The author is a prophet of simple living.
The coach was a prophet of defensive football.
Word forms
| plural | prophets |
|---|
Common combinations
- prophet of doom
- He is a prophet of doom who sees disaster everywhere.
- false prophet
- The village was misled by a false prophet.
- major prophet
- Isaiah is called a major prophet.
- prophet without honor
- A prophet is without honor in his own country.
- self-proclaimed prophet
- A self-proclaimed prophet gathered followers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seer
- It is a literary word for someone who sees the future, without the religious authority of a prophet.
- oracle
- It means a source of wise or divine advice, often a place or person consulted.
- visionary
- It describes someone with bold, creative ideas about the future, rather than a divine message.
- forecaster
- It is a plain, practical word for someone who predicts weather or economics.
Word family
- prophecy noun
- a prediction or divine message
- prophesy verb
- to predict what will happen
- prophetic adjective
- correctly predicting the future
- prophetess noun
- a female prophet
Commonly confused: prophet or profit? prophet or prophecy?
prophet vs profit
A profit is money gained in business, and sounds just like prophet.
prophet vs prophecy
Prophecy is the noun for the message, spelled with c, while prophesy is the verb.
Practice
The company's new owner turned out to be a false ___ who promised growth but delivered debt.
Choose one answer.
A false prophet is someone whose promises prove untrue. Profit sounds the same but means money gained, and prophecy is the prediction itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prophet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.