prompt
/ˈpɹɑmpt/
the instructions and input supplied to a model for a task, which may include text, images, files, or other content
prompt in a sentence
“The prompt combined a clear objective, a reference document, and the requested output format.”
Origin of prompt
Latin promptus brought forth, visible from promere to bring forth
Related Words
system prompt
high-priority instructions supplied by an application or platform to shape model behavior; the role name, visibility, and scope vary by system
few-shot learning
providing examples in the prompt to demonstrate desired input-output patterns
zero-shot
asking a model to perform a task without any examples
chain-of-thought
intermediate reasoning steps generated while solving a task, whether elicited by prompting or produced internally by a reasoning model
prompt injection
an attack or failure mode in which instructions embedded in user input or external content steer an LLM application away from its intended behavior
context priming
using early context to set expectations and influence subsequent model behavior