In plain language
It tells the model the task, relevant background, constraints, desired format, and sometimes examples.
Example
A classification prompt defines five allowed categories and requires a JSON object containing category and confidence.
Related terms
large language model · artificial intelligence · Hallucination
Common misconception
A longer or more detailed prompt is not automatically better, and prompt wording alone cannot guarantee correctness or security.
Implementation guidance
Separate trusted instructions from untrusted input, specify an output schema, include representative examples, version prompts, and test them like code.