A radical γ is prime-like if, for every prime ring A, the polynomial ring A[x] is γ-semisimple. In this paper, we study properties of prime-like radicals. In particular, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a radical γ containing the prime radical β to be prime-like. This allows us to easily find distinct special radicals that coincide on simple rings and on polynomial rings, which answers a question put by Ferrero. It also allows us to reformulate a long-standing open problem of Gardner in terms of prime-like radicals.
