prospective

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

prospective
    adj 1: of or concerned with or related to the future;
           "prospective earnings"; "a prospective mother"; "a
           prospective bride"; "the statute is solely prospective in
           operation" [ant: {retrospective}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Prospective \Pro*spec"tive\, a. [L. prospectivus: cf. F.
   prospectif. See {Prospect}, n.]
   1. Of or pertaining to a prospect; furnishing a prospect;
      perspective. [Obs.]
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            Time's long and dark prospective glass. --Milton.
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   2. Looking forward in time; acting with foresight; -- opposed
      to {retrospective}.
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            The French king of Sweden are circumspect,
            industrious, and prospective, too, in this affair.
                                                  --Sir J.
                                                  Child.
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   3. Being within view or consideration, as a future event or
      contingency; relating to the future: expected; as, a
      prospective benefit.
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            Points on which the promises, at the time of
            ordination, had no prospective bearing. --W. Jay.
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from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Prospective \Pro*spec"tive\, n.
   1. The scene before or around, in time or in space; view;
      prospect. --Sir H. Wotton.
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   2. A perspective glass. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Beau. & Fl.
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from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

PROSPECTIVE. That which is applicable to the future; it is used in 
opposition to retrospective. To be just, a law ought always to be 
prospective. 1 Bouv. Inst. n. 116.

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

45 Moby Thesaurus words for "prospective":
      anticipated, approaching, awaited, coming, desired, destinal,
      destined, determined, due, emergent, eventual, expected,
      extrapolated, fatal, fated, fatidic, foreseen, forthcoming, future,
      futuristic, hereafter, hoped-for, imminent, impending, in prospect,
      in view, incipient, later, long-expected, nearing, on the horizon,
      overdue, pending, planned, plotted, potential, predicted, presumed,
      probable, projected, promised, prophesied, to come, to-be,
      ultimate