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Synonyms

prophetic

American  
[pruh-fet-ik] / prəˈfɛt ɪk /
Sometimes prophetical

adjective

  1. of or relating to a prophet.

    prophetic inspiration.

  2. of the nature of or containing prophecy.

    prophetic writings.

  3. having the function or powers of a prophet, as a person.

  4. predictive; presageful or portentous; ominous.

    prophetic signs; prophetic warnings.


prophetic British  
/ prəˈfɛtɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a prophet or prophecy

  2. containing or of the nature of a prophecy; predictive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of prophetic

First recorded in 1585–95; from Late Latin prophēticus, from Greek prophētikós; equivalent to prophet + -ic

Explanation

If you make a prediction and it comes true, your words were prophetic. Like the time you warned your dad against eating a whole box of donuts. He got sick, right? That was a prophetic warning. The adjective prophetic traces all the way back to the Greek word prophētikos, meaning "predicting." You know who's really good at predicting stuff? Prophets. Usually, prophetic is used to describe a thing — like a warning, a feeling, or a complaint — rather than a person.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing prophetic

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.

None of these lucid dream studies examined the particular focused ultrasound method that Prophetic is building its product around.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2023

Prophetic Judaism highlighted prophets like Amos, Isaiah and Micah, whose teachings seemed to speak to contemporary issues.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2021

In other words, the claim of the Prophetic Movement was not only that Yahweh was superior to Ashur, but that Ashur was not really a god in the first place.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

He is the author of several bestselling books, including "Democracy Matters," "Race Matters" and "Black Prophetic Fire."

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2019

“Ah! Seurat! Prophetic pointillism a century before the pixel!”

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman