prophecy

American  

[prof-uh-see] / ˈprɒf ə si /

noun

prophecies plural

1. the foretelling or prediction of what is to come.

2. something that is declared by a prophet, especially a divinely inspired prediction, instruction, or exhortation.

3. a divinely inspired utterance or revelation.

   oracular prophecies.

4. the action, function, or faculty of a prophet.

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prophecy British  

/ ˈprɒfɪsɪ /

noun

1. 1. a message of divine truth revealing God's will

   2. the act of uttering such a message

2. a prediction or guess

3. the function, activity, or charismatic endowment of a prophet or prophets

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Commonly Confused

The French-derived noun prophecy and the related verb prophesy have a unique history. Before English spelling became relatively stabilized, they were both spelled many different ways—some with a c, some with an s, and even, at least in the case of the noun, some with a t (as in the corresponding modern French form prophétie ). But in the 18th century, the great diversity of spellings for these words settled down, with the c form becoming standard for the noun and the s form for the verb. At some point the pronunciation of the verb was also distinguished from that of the noun, so that instead of rhyming with see, like the noun, the verb rhymed with sigh —perhaps by analogy with the many verbs ending in -fy ( testify, stupefy, etc.). Considering the close relationship between the words, it is not surprising that they are easily confused; in particular, it is not unusual to see the noun written with an s, just as was often done before the 18th century. We may even prophesy that, over time, the form will once again become a completely acceptable spelling for the noun. But until then, careful writers and speakers maintain the conventional and long-established distinction between the two words in both spelling and pronunciation. Similarly, the verb "prophesize" (or "prophecize")—resulting from confusion between prophesy and verbs ending in -ize like proselytize and prioritize —is regarded as nonstandard. When you make a prophecy (sounds like see ), you are prophesying (sounds like sighing ).

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• prophecies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prophecy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English prophecie, from Old French, from Late Latin prophētīa, from Greek prophēteía; see prophet, -y ³

Explanation

If a fortune teller made a prophecy that you were going to become a billionaire in your lifetime, you'd be pretty excited. A prophecy is a prediction, or a magical look into the future. The noun prophecy means a magical foreknowledge, although it can also be used in a playful way to describe an ordinary guess or prediction about the future. So you could say, "Her prophecy for the weather next week is incredibly depressing." The word comes from the Greek prophetia — literally, "gift of interpreting the will of the gods". The verb form is prophesy, or predict, and it's spelled with an s instead of a c.

Example Sentences

“Cyberselfish” was never intended as prophecy — but sadly it has turned out to be.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

The Netherlands would become the fourth of four predicted winners to fulfil Klement's statistical prophecy if they lift the trophy in July.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

They worry that when people expect much higher prices in the future, they will accelerate their spending and demand higher wages, making inflation a self-fulfilling prophecy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

This supposedly ancient prophecy, however, is of distinctly American origins and only about 200 years old, having arguably little relevance to the teachings of Jesus or modern warfare.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

In one horrible moment the last piece of the prophecy became clear.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• apocalypse
• prognostication
• revelation