prose

adjective

Definition of prosenext
as in unpoetic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prose His writing there was electrically interesting, combining anecdote, music and cultural criticism, and a distinct prose style that leaped from thought to thought with total trust that the reader would follow. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 2 June 2026 Assorted writers across professions are being falsely accused of using AI if their prose style happens to match that of a large language model. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 May 2026 The ancient prose treatise on the subject of pleasure (kama) provides a brief discussion of men of a third nature (tritiya prakriti) who take the form of women or men. — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026 But Carlos Orsi, a scientific journalist with a punchy prose style, gives a lot of credit to what astrology has meant to human beings over the past thousands of years. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for prose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prose
  1. unpoetic
  2. prosaic
  3. literal
Adjective
  • This was an obtuse and unpoetic diktat, a showy way to miss the fact that a song’s history—its use over time, by real people, inspired by the exigencies of ritual and action—can inform its meaning more than its mere lyrics ever could.
    — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 15 July 2022
  • Atlanta and its suburbs are a surprisingly Whitmanesque experiment in pluralism, in which unpoetic concrete strip malls substitute for lyrical spears of summer grass.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2021
Definition of unpoetic
Adjective
  • While the house is bursting with artwork that would make most museum curators envious, Herman’s home is surprisingly humble, built on a tight budget from prosaic materials.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s extravagant welcome gesture will almost certainly be matched by prosaic summit outcomes.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of prosaic
Adjective
  • Rather than doing a literal adaptation, the creators kept the book’s DNA and tweaked the ideas of evil, temptation and power with a contemporary twist.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Edebiri’s look brings to mind musician Bjork’s quite literal interpretation of a swan dress at the 2001 Academy Awards; an outfit cemented in pop culture history as one of the red carpet’s most referenced, albeit campy, moments.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of literal

Browse Nearby Words

proscriptions
prose
prosecute
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Cite this Entry

“Prose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prose. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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