prophet

[ prof-it ]

noun

1. a person who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration.
2. (in the Old Testament)
   1. a person chosen to speak for God and to guide the people of Israel:

      Moses was the greatest of Old Testament prophets.

   2. (often initial capital letter) one of the Major or Minor Prophets.
   3. one of a band of ecstatic visionaries claiming divine inspiration and, according to popular belief, possessing magical powers.
   4. a person who practices divination.
3. one of a class of persons in the early church, next in order after the apostles, recognized as inspired to utter special revelations and predictions. 1 Corinthians 12:28.
4. the Prophet, Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
5. a person regarded as, or claiming to be, an inspired teacher or leader.
6. a person who foretells or predicts what is to come:

   a weather prophet; prophets of doom.

7. a spokesperson of some doctrine, cause, or movement.

prophet

¹

/ ˈprɒfɪt /

noun

1. a person who supposedly speaks by divine inspiration, esp one through whom a divinity expresses his will vatic
2. a person who predicts the future

   a prophet of doom

3. a spokesman for a movement, doctrine, etc
4. Christian Science
   1. a seer in spiritual matters
   2. the vanishing of material sense to give way to the conscious facts of spiritual truth

Prophet

²

/ ˈprɒfɪt /

noun

1. the principal designation of Mohammed as the founder of Islam
2. a name for Joseph Smith as founder of the Mormon Church

prophet

1. Someone who brings a message from God to people. The best-known prophets are those of the Old Testament . Their most frequent themes were true worship of God, upright living, and the coming of the Messiah . They often met with bitter resistance when they spoke against the idol worship and immorality of their people. Among the prophets of the Old Testament were Daniel , Elijah , Isaiah , Jeremiah , Jonah , and Moses . Prophets also appear in the New Testament . Jesus called John the Baptist a prophet; Christians (see also Christian ) consider him a bridge between the prophets of the Old Testament and those of the New Testament. Jesus mentions “true prophets” and “false prophets” — those who present the true message of God and those who present a counterfeit ( see By their fruits ye shall know them and wolves in sheep's clothing ). He himself was considered a prophet in his lifetime ( see A prophet is not without honor save in his own country ) and is still widely revered by non-Christians as a prophet, though not as the Messiah. The New Testament also mentions that some of the early Christians were prophets who spoke inspired messages to their communities.

Notes

In general usage, a “prophet” is someone who can foretell the future. The prophets of the Bible (see also Bible ) often made predictions, which confirmed their authority when the predictions came true, but changing the lives of their people was a more central part of their mission.

Derived Forms

• ˈprophetess, noun:feminine
• ˈprophet-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• prophet·hood noun
• prophet·less adjective
• prophet·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prophet¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English prophete, from Late Latin prophēta, from Greek prophḗtēs, equivalent to pro- “before (in time, place, precedence, dignity)” + -phētēs “speaker,” derivative of phánai “to speak”; pro- ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of prophet¹

C13: from Old French prophète, from Latin prophēta, from Greek prophētēs one who declares the divine will, from pro- ² + phanai to speak

Example Sentences

She told him she had been disciplined because she dared to stand up to Mr Paty when he told Muslims to leave the class so he could show a naked picture of the prophet.

From BBC

With a shock of long white hair and a long beard, the 67-year-old looks like an Old Testament prophet.

From Los Angeles Times

Almost radically, its premise takes on a biblical dimension when the inhabitants of planet Cybertron realize their lives have been dictated by a false prophet.

From Los Angeles Times

Pastor Mboro is a self-styled prophet with thousands of followers across South Africa.

From BBC

“I’m not a prophet, as I like to say, but one thing I can assure is Nigerians are resolute and we will protest,” Mr Sanyaolu declares.

From BBC

Related Words

• prognosticator
• seer
• witch