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Synonyms

prom

1 American  
[prom] / prɒm /

noun

  1. a formal dance, especially one held by a high school or college class at the end of an academic year.

PROM 2 American  
[prom] / prɒm /

noun

Computers.

  1. a memory chip whose contents can be programmed by a user or manufacturer for a specific purpose.

prom. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. promontory.

prom 1 British  
/ prɒm /

noun

  1. short for promenade promenade concert

  2. informal short for promenade

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
PROM 2 British  
/ prɒm /

acronym

  1. programmable read only memory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of prom1

1890–95, short for promenade

Origin of PROM2

p(rogrammable) r(ead)-o(nly) m(emory)

Explanation

A prom is a formal dance at the end of a school year. For many American high schools, the senior prom is a big deal. Kids get dressed up and then get embarrassed by parents who take too many photos. Students going to a prom will sometimes rent limousines to get there, and dress in fancy gowns and tuxedos. The prom itself is generally a much fancier version of a school dance, often held in a hotel or a gussied-up school gymnasium. The word dates from the late nineteenth century, an American English shortening of promenade, which means "to stroll," but also "to dance in couples with joined hands."

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Vocabulary lists containing prom

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pants and cuffs still need to be hemmed to say nothing of bridal, prom and other special-occasion clothes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Husbands then opened an alterations and dress shop in Kokomo, Ind. One day, a customer walked in looking for a prom dress for her daughter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

"My sister went to prom and we spent £600 on her. I find it extortionate in my opinion."

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

We did every major event here, prom, homecoming, all the homies would come here and take photos across the different points of the house.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

I also knew that he was one of the few guys at school who weren't really into prom in the first place.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.