prescient
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prescient
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Old French, from Latin praesciēns (stem praescient- ), present participle of praescīre “to know beforehand,” equivalent to prae- “before” + scīre “to know”; cf. pre- ( def. ); see science ( def. )
Explanation
To be prescient is to have foresight or foreknowledge. We can use this word to describe people themselves, or what they say or do at a given moment. You probably know that the Latin prefix pre- means "before," so you might be able to figure out that the word prescient, from the verb praescire, means to "know beforehand." People like economists, sports commentators, and political analysts often get tagged with this word, because it's part of their job to sift through the data and make predictions — and sometimes they get it right. And when they're not just lucky, we might say they're prescient.
Vocabulary lists containing prescient
Power Prefix: pre-
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Vocabulary from "There Will Never Be an Age of Artificial Intimacy," by Sherry Turkle
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 2
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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.
Nick Florko doesn’t want to brag or anything, but more than a year ago he wrote an article that has come to seem prescient.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
It’s a prescient scene in “Network” from 1976, the year of America’s bicentennial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Those runs led to some prescient analysis from Toni Nadal, who famously coached his nephew Rafa to 16 of his major titles.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
After a prescient bet during the global financial crisis, De Leon expanded to ventures many investors may consider unglamorous, such as dental, veterinary offices and insurance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“Poetic though they sound, and I appreciate that you’ve just described both tender ballads of love and socially prescient commentary, I still don’t believe this rings any bells.”
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
