prostyle adj : marked by columniation having free columns in a portico only across the opening to the structure [syn: pseudoprostyle]

thumb|right|200px|The National Bank, [[Oamaru, New Zealand, built 1871. A prostyle Palladian portico projects from a neoclassical facade.]]Prostyle is an architectural term defining free standing columns that are widely spaced apart in a row. The term is often used as an adjective when referring to the portico of a classical building which projects from the main structure. First used in Etruscan and Greek temples, the Romans later on incorporated this motif in their temples.

Example: Temple of Athena Nike, Akropolis, Athens, Greece

This architectural style probably originated in the eastern Greek isles in the 8th century B.C., however there are also many examples in archaic temples in southern Italy.