Prophets

[ prof-its ]
/ ˈprɒf ɪts /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR Prophets ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a singular verb)

the canonical group of books that forms the second of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament, comprising Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Compare Law of Moses, Hagiographa.

Definition for prophets (2 of 2)

prophet
[ prof-it ]
/ ˈprɒf ɪt /

noun

Origin of prophet

1150–1200; Middle English prophete < Late Latin prophēta < Greek prophḗtēs, equivalent to pro- pro-2 + -phētēs speaker, derivative of phánai to speak

OTHER WORDS FROM prophet

proph·et·hood, noun proph·et·less, adjective proph·et·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH prophet

profit prophet

Words related to prophets

witch, seer, prognosticator, diviner, medium, sibyl, astrologer, forecaster, reader, wizard, bard, fortuneteller, soothsayer, oracle, augur, auspex, magus, clairvoyant, sorcerer, druid

Example sentences from the Web for prophets

British Dictionary definitions for prophets (1 of 3)

Prophets
/ (ˈprɒfɪts) /

pl n

the books constituting the second main part of the Hebrew Bible, which in Jewish tradition is subdivided into the Former Prophets, Joshua, Judges, I-II Samuel, and I-II Kings, and the Latter Prophets, comprising those books which in Christian tradition are alone called the Prophets and which are divided into Major Prophets and Minor Prophets Compare Law of Moses, Hagiographa

British Dictionary definitions for prophets (2 of 3)

prophet
/ (ˈprɒfɪt) /

noun

a person who supposedly speaks by divine inspiration, esp one through whom a divinity expresses his will Related adjective: vatic
a person who predicts the future a prophet of doom
a spokesman for a movement, doctrine, etc
Christian Science
  1. a seer in spiritual matters
  2. the vanishing of material sense to give way to the conscious facts of spiritual truth

Derived forms of prophet

prophetess, fem n prophet-like, adjective

Word Origin for prophet

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

British Dictionary definitions for prophets (3 of 3)

Prophet
/ (ˈprɒfɪt) /

noun the Prophet

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

Cultural definitions for prophets

prophet

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 for prophet

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.