predictability
Americannoun
-
predictabilities
plural
-
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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of predictability
First recorded in 1850–55; predict(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )
Explanation
Children with autism usually benefit from predictability in their schedules, where they can expect the same thing to happen routinely every day. Predictability has only one meaning, but it can be considered good or bad depending on the context. The predictability of sunrise and sunset is extremely helpful. If a mystery novel, however, suffers from predictability, there probably won't be very much "mystery" involved after all, and no one will want to read it.
Vocabulary lists containing predictability
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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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.
See Examples For:
"Our European partners are keen on a strong transatlantic relationship," he told AFP, saying the bloc is drawn to Canada's "certainty and predictability."
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
“We know for science to succeed we need predictability and stability, not month-by-month funding fights,” Wiener said Friday in announcing the deal to resurrect SB 895.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
This formula would automatically tie interest rate targets to economic indicators, offering built-in market predictability through an objective rule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Botha says autistic people are united by key features: sensory sensitivity, a need for predictability, intense interests and struggles with communication.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
He acknowledged that there was no way we could predict how exactly we’d manage things, given that neither of us wanted to be locked into the comfortable predictability of a lawyer’s life.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Of all the predictabilities in the horror genre, one is increasingly and irritatingly disappointing: “Girl stuff” seems to just simply not count.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026
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.
