A simple prose definition: prose is ordinary language written or spoken in sentences and paragraphs, without the line breaks, regular rhythm or rhyme of poetry. This page is prose; so are news reports, emails, textbooks, recipes and almost every novel.
The word is also used to talk about a writer's style, as in her prose is sharp and clear, and, in older use, to mean something dull and ordinary. Below you will find the prose meaning in English in each of these senses, the main kinds of prose, a side by side look at prose and poetry, and the Latin idea of speech that goes straight ahead.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Language in normal sentences and paragraphs, not in versePart of speech
Noun (also an old, rare verb)Pronunciation
PROHZ, sounds the same as prosRelated words
prosaic (adjective), prose poem, prose writerOrigin
Old French prose, from Latin prosa oratio, straightforward speech; English from about 1300Opposite
poetry, verseRegister
Neutral; common in school and literary talk
Prose definition in three senses
- Ordinary language. Written or spoken words arranged in sentences and paragraphs, following the natural flow of speech, with no fixed meter. The story is told in prose, but the songs inside it are in verse.
- A writer's style. The quality of someone's sentences: clean prose, lyrical prose, dense academic prose.
- Dullness (older or literary). The plain, unexciting side of life: the prose of daily chores. This sense lives on mostly in the adjective prosaic, explained further down.
When teachers ask students to define prose, or wonder what is the meaning of prose in a passage, they almost always want the first sense: writing that is not poetry. That is the standard definition of prose in any exam.
Prose meaning in example sentences
- The poet also published three books of prose, mostly essays about her childhood.
- Rewrite the poem as a paragraph of prose and see what is lost.
- His prose is so plain that the jokes sneak up on you.
- Legal documents are prose, but hardly anyone reads them for pleasure.
- The report's prose was heavy with jargon, so the editor cut it by half.
Prose vs poetry
| Prose | Poetry | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic unit | Sentence and paragraph | Line and stanza |
| Line breaks | Wherever the page ends | Chosen by the poet |
| Rhythm | Natural, like speech | Often patterned (meter) |
| Rhyme | Rare | Common, but not required |
| Typical forms | Novels, essays, articles, letters | Sonnets, haiku, ballads, elegies |
The line is not always sharp. A prose poem is written in paragraphs but uses the compressed images and sound effects of poetry. And free verse is poetry without meter or rhyme that still uses chosen line breaks. Both prose and poetry can use devices like metaphor and imagery.
Types of prose
- Fictional prose: novels, novellas, short stories and fables, with invented characters and events.
- Nonfiction prose: essays, biographies, memoirs, news articles, textbooks and speeches.
- Practical prose: instructions, reports, emails, menus and forms, written mainly to inform.
- Prose poetry: poetic writing set out in paragraphs.
Plays can mix both: some characters speak in verse while others, or the same characters in casual scenes, speak in prose. Each of these is a genre or form that writers choose for a purpose.
Purple prose and other phrases
Purple prose is writing that is too flowery, with piles of adjectives and dramatic images where simple words would work better. Plain prose is the opposite: direct and easy to follow. You may also hear workmanlike prose (competent but not exciting), lucid prose (very clear) and a prose style. Saying a writer writes beautiful prose praises how the sentences read, apart from the plot.
The adjective prosaic once meant simply in prose. Today it usually means dull, ordinary or lacking imagination: a prosaic explanation for the strange noise: a loose pipe.
From Latin straight speech to English
Around 1300 English borrowed prose from Old French prose, from Latin prosa, short for prosa oratio, meaning straightforward speech. The Latin prosa is linked to prorsus, straight on or forward. The image is of language that runs forward naturally, rather than turning back at the end of each line as verse does. The sense of non poetic language is recorded by the mid 1300s, and the sense of something dull or commonplace by the 1680s.
Do not mix up prose with pros (plural of pro, as in pros and cons, or professionals); they sound identical. For more writing terms, visit the grammar and writing section.
Frequently asked questions
What is prose in simple words?
Prose is normal writing in full sentences and paragraphs. Anything that is not arranged in poetic lines, such as a story, an article or a letter, is prose.
What is the difference between prose and poetry?
Prose follows the natural flow of speech in paragraphs. Poetry is arranged in lines chosen by the poet, often with rhythm or rhyme. Some forms, like prose poems, blend the two.
Is a novel prose?
Yes, almost all novels are written in prose. A few novels are written entirely in verse, and these are usually called verse novels to mark the difference.
What is purple prose?
Purple prose is overdone writing, full of fancy words and dramatic description that draws attention to itself. Editors usually advise cutting it back to plainer language.
How do you pronounce prose?
It is one syllable, PROHZ, with a z sound at the end. It sounds exactly like pros, as in pros and cons.
What does prosaic mean?
Prosaic means dull, ordinary or unimaginative. It comes from prose and once meant written in prose, but the everyday meaning now is plain and unexciting.