Meaning of prompt in English

prompt

verb [ T ]

/prɒmpt/ us

/prɑːmpt/

prompt verb [T] (CAUSE)

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to make something happen:

The bishop's speech has prompted an angry response from both political parties.

prompt speculation Recent worries over the president's health have prompted speculation over his political future.

prompt someone to do something

to make someone decide to say or do something:

What prompted you to say that?

More examplesFewer examples

A description of the man prompted hundreds of calls after its release on Tuesday.
The prime minister's speech prompted speculation that an election will be held later in the year.
His comments prompted me to find out more about the situation.
I just can't understand what prompted him to do something so drastic.
Without being prompted, the little boy shut his eyes, prayed silently, and began to eat..

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Causing things to happen

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prompt verb [T] (HELP REMEMBER)

to help someone, especially an actor, to remember what they were going to say or do:

I forgot my line and had to be prompted.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Cinema & theatre: acting, rehearsing & performing

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prompt verb [T] (COMPUTER)

to give an instruction to an artificial intelligence (= a computer system or machine that has some of the qualities that a human brain has, such as the ability to interpret and produce language in a way that seems human, recognize or create images, solve problems, and learn from data supplied to it) using natural language rather than computer language:

Generative AIs can be prompted to create content that appears entirely novel.

Successfully prompting a text-to-image AI model often involves a lot of experimentation in how to add and order words to get the results you want.

prompt

adjective

/prɒmpt/ us

/prɑːmpt/

(of an action) done quickly and without delay, or (of a person) acting quickly or arriving at the arranged time:

They've written back already - that was a very prompt reply.

They're usually fairly prompt in dealing with enquiries.

Try to be prompt because we'll be very short of time.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

fast

fastI tried to catch him, but he was too fast for me.
quickI tried to catch him, but he was too quick for me.
promptA prompt reply would be very much appreciated.
speedyEveryone is hoping for a speedy resolution to the conflict.
swiftThe teacher's swift action saved his life.

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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Hurrying and doing things quickly

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Fast and rapid

prompt

noun [ C ]

/prɒmpt/ us

/prɑːmpt/

prompt noun [C] (COMPUTER)

a sign on a computer screen that shows that the computer is ready to receive your instructions

an instruction given to an artificial intelligence (= a computer system or machine that has some of the qualities that a human brain has, such as the ability to interpret and produce language in a way that seems human, recognize or create images, solve problems, and learn from data supplied to it) by a human using natural language rather than computer language:

As a beginner in prompt engineering, start with simple prompts and gradually move on to more complex ones.

AI prompts are essentially commands that the AI model can understand.

See also

prompt engineer

prompt engineering

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Computer concepts

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Signs, signals and symbols

prompt noun [C] (ACTOR'S HELP)

words that are spoken to an actor who has forgotten what he or she is going to say during the performance of a play

(also prompter)

a person whose job is to help actors, during a performance, to remember words that they have forgotten

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Cinema & theatre: acting, rehearsing & performing

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Cinema & theatre: people who work in cinemas & theatres

prompt

adverb

/prɒmpt/ us

/prɑːmpt/

at the time stated and no later:

We'll be leaving at six o'clock prompt.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

At the right time

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(Definition of prompt from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

prompt | American Dictionary

prompt

adjective [ -er/-est only ]

/prɑmpt/

prompt adjective [-er/-est only] (QUICK)

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(of an action) done quickly and without delay, or (of a person) acting quickly or arriving at an arranged time:

The agency sent back a prompt reply to my inquiries.

promptly

adverb us

/ˈprɑmpt·li/

She arrived promptly at 9 o’clock.

prompt

verb [ T ]

/prɑmpt/

prompt verb [T] (CAUSE)

to cause someone to say or do something:

[ + to infinitive ] What prompted you to say that?

If you prompt an actor or speaker, you help by quietly saying the next word or phrase if it has been forgotten.

prompt

noun [ C ]

/prɑmpt/

prompt noun [C] (CAUSE)

a sign from the computer that shows it is ready to receive your instructions

writing

A prompt is also a set of directions or a passage from a book, poem, or play to give you ideas for writing something

(Definition of prompt from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

prompt | Business English

prompt

verb [ T ]

/prɒmpt/ us

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to do something that causes a reaction or makes someone do or think something:

The accusations of fraud prompted an angry response from the company's CEO.

Steeply rising food prices pushed inflation to 5.6% last month prompting renewed concern about whether inflation would spread more widely.

prompt sb/sth to do sth Evidence of a slow economy will prompt the bank to lower interest rates again.

Pre-tax profit soared 28.2%, prompting the company to declare a special dividend of 70¢ a share.

if a computer prompts you to do something while performing a task, it gives you a message that tells you what action to take next:

prompt sb to do sth After you've downloaded the program, you will be prompted to restart your PC.

prompt

adjective

/prɒmpt/ us

done or happening without delay:

prompt payment/delivery/service The message at the top of the bill is intended to encourage prompt payment.

prompt action/attention/treatment Millions of people lack health insurance and therefore aren't getting regular screening or prompt treatment.

done quickly, without delay, or arriving at the arranged time:

Be prompt for your appointment.

The cashback bonus is given to prompt payers.

prompt

noun

/prɒmpt/ us

(also computer prompt)

a symbol, usually a flashing line, or message on a computer screen that tells you that the computer is ready for you to give it an instruction:

Type your username and password when you see the prompt.

Compare

cursor

(Definition of prompt from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of prompt

prompt

This can be usefully reinforced using visual prompts such as tick lists.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Sometimes research is prompted by a technical issue.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The question of succession prompted families engaged in the same occupation to form an association that controlled members' marriages and inheritances.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Moreover, verbs should be most frequent in maternal utterances that prompt the child to perform an action.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause can reduce the severity of peripheral neuropathy or decrease the recovery time.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Even in the presence of a stable policy anchor, policy learning takes place which prompts policy-makers to reassess policy settings.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The aural memory of the teacher's performance was possibly a more vivid prompt.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The system also prompts custodians for regular input of evaluations of indicator status.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Large purchases or enclosure bills often prompted travel that was assisted by significant improvements in communications during this period.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

One pilot does not and-preface talk to prompt or initiate an action that the other pilot has not yet begun.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

For teacher educators, there are exercises for expansion, which prompt students to use and extend the material in each chapter.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

When prompted by the interviewer, she also describes her belief that losing weight will reduce the breathlessness she experiences when she exerts herself.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Arguing that the existing crisis was hurting society as a whole, the socialists demanded from government and parliament prompt measures to alleviate the situation.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The first, training set performance, is the system's accuracy in classifying essays that were written on one of the reference prompts.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Yet despite this affirmative reporting obligation, some critics allege serious rights violations have arisen, which have not prompted reports of incompatibility.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of prompt?

Translations of prompt

in Chinese (Traditional)

導致, 引起, 激起…

in Chinese (Simplified)

导致, 引起, 激起…

in Spanish

rápido, puntual [masculine-feminine, singular]…

in Portuguese

rápido, imediato, pontual…

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उद्युक्त करणे, काहीतरी घडण्यासाठी प्रेरणा देणे, तत्पर…

迅速な, 素早い, 定時（ていじ）の…

harekete geçirmek, teşvik etmek, zorlamak…

ponctuel/-elle, rapide, pousser à…

ràpid…

prompt, bewegen tot, souffleren…

ஏதாவது நடக்க வேண்டும், (ஒரு செயலின்) விரைவாகவும் தாமதமின்றி செய்யப்படுகிறது, அல்லது (ஒரு நபரின்) விரைவாக செயல்படுவது அல்லது ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்ட நேரத்தில் வருவது…

(कुछ घटित होने के लिए) प्रेरित करना, तुरंत, जल्दी…

ઉશ્કેરવું, ત્વરિત, શીઘ્ર…

hurtig, præcis, tilskynde…

snabb, skyndsam, punktlig…

tepat pd waktunya, mendorong, membantu ingat…

prompt, pünktlich, antreiben…