prerequisite adj. (pree REK wuh zit) required; necessary. Yes, I'm afraid geometry and algebra are indeed prerequisite.
prerogative n. (pri ROG uh tiv) a right or privilege. I can wear my hair any way that I want to; it's my prerogative.
presumptuous adj. (pri ZUMP choo us) bold in assuming and taking too much for granted. Frank, as usual, swaggered up to collect first prize even before the winner's name was announced; he's so presumptuous, we all want to vomit.
pretense n. (PREE tens) a false front, put-on, or affection. Under the pretense of "having a job to do," the female reporter marched boldly into the men's locker room and confronted the naked players.
pretentious adj. (pri TEN shus) affected, fake; putting up a grand but false image of oneself. Joe often behaves like an intellectual, but most people realize he is being pretentious when he misuses big words.
prima donna n. (PREE muh DON uh) an egotistical, moody, whining brat. (Also, the lead female vocalist in an opera.) We were warned not to cast one particular actress in the production because she had a reputation as a prima donna.
primordial adj. (pri MOR dee ul) primitive; prehistoric. Capturing and protecting territory is a primordial urge.
pristine adj. (pris TEEN) unpolluted; untouched; pure. The mountain lakeshore was off-limits to development and was therefore pristine.
prodigious adj. (pruh DIJ us) huge, powerful; impressive. Flying around the world in a hot-air balloon is a prodigious undertaking.
prodigy n. (PROD i jee) a child with extraordinary talent or intelligence. The five-year-old guitar prodigy played Jimi Hendrix licks with astonishing proficiency.
profane adj. (pro FAYN) disrespectful and irreverent, especially regarding religious matters. Your scoffing remarks about my religion are profane, but I'll always defend your right to free speech.
proficient adj. (pro FISH unt) competent, skillful. Sally has become a proficient gardener; her tomato plants often grow more than six feet high.
profligate adj. (PROF luh git) extremely wasteful; extravagant. The winner of the lottery was so profligate, he managed to spend all of his winnings in a single year.
profound adj. (pro FOUND) of great depth or import. Her theory that more than one god existed in the universe was profound.
profuse adj. (pro FYOOS) pouring out with great volume. The only way to stop profuse bleeding is to bandage and apply pressure.
profusion n. (pro FYOO zshun) a great pouring forth; a great amount. When we entered the swamp we were met with a profusion of mosquitoes.
proletariat n. (PROH li TAIR ee ut) the working class; industrial laborers collectively. The proletariat protested their minimum wages while the company's executives earned millions.
proliferate vb. (pro LIF uh RAYT) to multiply quickly. With America's aggressive entrepreneurs, a new successful franchise can always be expected to proliferate.
prolific adj. (pro LIF ik) very productive. She was a prolific author, producing more than three novels per year.
promiscuous adj. (proh MIS kyoo us) sexually indiscriminate. He readily admitted to being promiscuous; he'd had, he said, romances with more than fifty women.
propensity n. (pro PEN sit ee) a natural inclination.
Like her mother, she had a propensity to coddle her children.
propitious adj. (pruh PISH us) opportune; favorable. May is always a propitious time of year to plant a vegetable garden.
proponent n. (pruh POH nunt) a supporter, advocate, or backer. I'm a proponent of strong environmental conservation.
propriety n. (pruh PRY uh tee) proper behavior and decorum. In church, you are expected to conduct yourself with a certain propriety.
prosaic adj. (proh ZAY ik) dull; ordinary. This story is nothing out of the ordinary; it's as prosaic as all of the other amateur entries.
proscribe vb. (proh SKRIBE) to prohibit or outlaw.
The city council will meet tomorrow to draw up plans to proscribe public drunkenness in the parks.
proselytize vb. (PROS uh li tize) to convert someone to one's own religion, political party, belief system, etc. Members of the religious cult visit my house once a year in an attempt to proselytize, but I usually don't answer the door.
protocol n. (PROH tuh col) a code of conduct.
When visiting the president, remember we must follow protocol exactly.
protract vb. (proh TRACT) to prolong or stretch out. The arctic cold front coming down from Canada is expected to protract winter by at least another week.
prototype n. (PROH toh tipe) an original model; a forerunner or mockup. The prototype of our solar- powered car seats only one, but the revamped model will seat two.
provincial adj. (pruh VIN shul) having a narrow outlook, from lack of worldly experience, as someone living in a small town. His provincial attitude precludes him from understanding or appreciating homosexuals.
provocative adj. (pro VAWk uh tiv) provoking or stimulating. The ad recruiting new marines was so provocative that three young men from our town immediately signed up for duty.
prudent adj. (PROO dunt) wise and judicious; intelligently cautious. Before going out on the ice, it is always prudent to measure its thickness first.
psychotic adj. (is KOT ik) insane; crazy. Believing wholeheartedly that moon monsters are after you is probably psychotic.
pundit n. (PUN dit) an authority or expert serving as a critic. The political pundits had much to criticize with the president's sexual escapades.