Meaning & use
prophets
Last updated
“prophets” is a form of “prophet”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
People believed to receive messages from a god and speak on that god's behalf.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'prophet'. Use 'a prophet' for one, 'prophets' for more than one.
Patterns
- a prophet of something
- the prophets
In many religions, prophets are seen as messengers of God.
The ancient prophets warned the people to change their ways.
She studied the writings of the Hebrew prophets.
nouncountablefigurative
People who predict what will happen in the future.
Grammar: Countable noun; often used figuratively for someone who predicts events.
Patterns
- a prophet of doom
Economic prophets are predicting a slowdown next year.
He was called a prophet of doom for saying the project would fail.
Word forms
| singular | prophet |
|---|
Common combinations
- a prophet of doom
- Don't be such a prophet of doom; things might improve.
- false prophet
- The group's leader was exposed as a false prophet.
- the Hebrew prophets
- The Hebrew prophets spoke out against injustice.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: prophets or profits? prophets or prophecy?
prophets vs profits
Sounds the same in many accents but means money gained in business.
prophets vs prophecy
A prophecy is the message; a prophet is the person who gives it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'prophets' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Prophets' means people who deliver divine messages, so sentence B fits. A confuses it with 'profits' (money). C needs the singular 'prophecy' for a message. D needs 'prophet' because 'a' takes a singular noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prophets”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.