prospic

Prospic is an archaic English term used as both an adjective and a verb to describe looking forward or foreseeing, and more generally to survey or regard something with a forward gaze. In modern usage the word is rare and typically confined to historical, literary, or rhetorical contexts. The meaning aligns with foresight, being looking ahead, or anticipating future events, and it shares its roots with related terms such as prospective, prospect, and prospection.

Etymology and form: Prospic derives from the Latin prospicere, meaning to look forward or foresee. It is formed from the elements pro- “forward” and specere “to look.” In English, prospering or modern equivalents would usually be expressed with words like foreseeing, foresighted, or prospective rather than prospic.

Usage notes: Because prospic is largely obsolete in contemporary prose, its appearance typically signals an antiquated or formal tone. It may be encountered in older texts, poetic uses, or discussions of rhetoric and philosophy that aim to evoke classical diction. When communicating clearly to a general audience, readers and writers are more likely to use synonyms such as foresight, foresightful, or prospective.

See also: Prospective, Prospect, Prospection, Foresee.