Prospero is a noun that refers to a person who is capable of influencing others’ behavior or perceptions.

Our word of the day gets its origin from the William Shakespeare play The Tempest. It features a character named Prospero who is a deposed Duke and magician. Named for this highly influential character, prospero may be used to describe anyone of great influence. Here’s an example:

My agent initially came across as some kind of prospero, but it soon became clear that he didn’t have nearly the influence he pretended to have.