predictability
Americannoun
-
consistent repetition of a state, course of action, behavior, or the like, making it possible to know in advance what to expect.
The predictability of their daily lives was both comforting and boring.
-
the quality of being regarded as likely to happen, as behavior or an event.
We were disheartened by the utter predictability of war.
Etymology
Origin of predictability
First recorded in 1850–55; predict(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rule also validates the inclusion of lifetime income solutions, such as annuities, for American workers who need predictability in retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Even without our being able to know a particular fund’s predictability, the new study can still help investors choose between different funds.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
They found high repetition of the signs and predictability in the subsequent symbols that is "comparable to much later proto-cuneiform," according to Bentz.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
Large language models, a prominent form of artificial intelligence, rely on the predictability of language sequences to determine which part of a word is likely to appear next.
From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026
After a life of Sameness and predictability, he was awed by the surprises that lay beyond each curve of the road.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
