PLAIN-LANGUAGE DEFINITION
Prompt
A prompt is the instruction and context supplied to a generative model.
IN PRACTICE
An example
A video prompt can specify a canvas pouch, opening action, desk setting and fixed camera.
What this does not tell you
Longer prompts are not automatically clearer; remove contradictory instructions.
Use the term precisely
When you use this term in a brief or report, include the relevant source, scope and assumptions. An example explains the concept; it is not a benchmark or a promise of results.