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

The girl claimed she had confronted Paty in a class she had not attended, falsely alleging that he had told Muslim students to leave the room while he showed "naked" images of the Prophet Muhammad.

From BBC

Any depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are considered highly offensive by Muslims.

From BBC

The prize, worth about $53,000, and trophy were presented to Harvey at a ceremony in London by Paul Lynch, the 2023 winner with “Prophet Song.”

From Los Angeles Times

Dutch Sheets, an influential self-described prophet and apostle, said in his daily worship broadcast last week that he realized that God had a plan.

From Slate

To the influential prophet Lance Wallnau, Trump’s election means that Christians can now go up against the “gates of hell” in “the DOJ, in the government, in the IRS.”

From Slate

Related Words

• prognosticator
• seer
• witch