What is the Latin word for prospect?

The usual Latin words for “prospect” are prōspiciō, dēspiciō, cōnspectus; also spēs, exspectātiō, prōspectō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“prospect” in Latin

prōspiciōto look far off; to see into the distance; to watch or look out for; to discern, descry or espy dēspiciōto look down upon; to disdain or despise; to look away, disregard cōnspectusa sight; sight (the ability to see; power of sight); presence, proximity spēshope (belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen); expectation, anticipation; apprehension exspectātiōexpectation, waiting; suspense prōspectōto look or gaze out at; to behold permittōto let go, let loose; to cast, hurl, throw; send away, export; to give leave, give up, allow, suffer, grant, permit, sur

The English word prospect itself goes back to Latin prō, through prōspectus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

prospect

PROP., prospectus (to a distance in front): despectus (looking down): conspectus (a view). To have a prospect of anything, prospicere, prospectare, despicere aliquem locum: to afford a prospect to any place, praebere prospectum ad aliquem locum: there is a prospect to the Capitol, conspectus est in Capitolium: there is a clear prospect even to a great distance, liber prospectus oculorum etiam quae procul recessere, permittitur (Curt., 5, 9, 10): this room commands a prospect of the sea, hoc cubiculum prospicit mare, or praebet prospectum ad mare: the fish-pond of which there is a prospect from the windows, piscina quae fenestris servit ac subjacet: to have a distant prospect, longe or multum prospicere: to hinder the prospect, prospectum impedire or prohibere: to take away the prospect, prospectum adimere; prospectum oculorum auferre (e.g., as a cloud of dust): to take away one’s prospect of anything, conspectum alicujus rei intersepire alicui: to deprive of a prospect, prospectum oculis eripere (Verg., Aen., 8, 254; for which Liv., 10, 32, in more prosaic style, says, usum lucis eripere, of a cloud): to intercept or to take away the prospect, caelo, or luminibus, or auspiciis officere (the latter from persons about to take the auspices: ☞ officere alicui in this sense it not classical: it is not supported by Cic., Tusc., 5, 32, 92, and De N.D., 2, 19, 50).

Figuratively, That to which the mind is directed, spes (of anything pleasing): exspectatio (of anything, whether pleasing or not): prospect of punishment, exspectatio poenarum: some prospect, specula: distant prospects, sera spes: charming prospects, spes uberior: to have good prospects, bene sperare: to deprive one of all prospect of anything, omnem spem alicujus rei alicui eripere: merit now has some prospects, locus virtutibus patefactus est: in peace I have no prospects, mihi compositis rebus nulla spes (Tac., Hist., 1, 21, 1): to have a very distant prospect of the consulship, longe a spe consulatus abesse: the prospects of the country are gloomy [Vid: GLOOMY], tenebrae caecaeque nubes et procellae reipublicae impendent (after Auct., pro Dom., 10, 24): still more gloomy prospects, spes multo asperior.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for prospect?: The usual Latin words for “prospect” are prōspiciō, dēspiciō, cōnspectus; also spēs, exspectātiō, prōspectō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.