forecast
Americanverb (used with object)
-
forecasts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forecasted,
past participle, past
-
forecast,
past participle, past
-
forecasting
present participle
-
to predict (a future condition or occurrence); calculate in advance.
to forecast a heavy snowfall; to forecast lower interest rates.
- Synonyms:
- anticipate, foretell
-
to serve as a prediction of; foreshadow.
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to contrive or plan beforehand; prearrange.
- Synonyms:
- project
verb (used without object)
-
forecasts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forecasted,
past participle, past
-
forecast,
past participle, past
-
forecasting
present participle
noun
-
forecasts
plural
-
a prediction, especially as to the weather.
-
a conjecture as to something in the future.
-
the act, practice, or faculty of forecasting.
-
Archaic. foresight in planning.
- Synonyms:
- prescience, forethought
verb
-
to predict or calculate (weather, events, etc), in advance
-
(tr) to serve as an early indication of
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(tr) to plan in advance
noun
-
a statement of probable future weather conditions calculated from meteorological data
-
a prophecy or prediction
-
the practice or power of forecasting
Synonym Usage
See predict.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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forecasternoun
-
reforecastverb (used with object)
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forecastableadjective
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unforecastadjective
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unforecastedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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forecastsimple
-
forecastssimple
-
have forecastperfect
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have forecastedperfect
-
has forecastperfect
-
has forecastedperfect
-
am forecastingprogressive
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are forecastingprogressive
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is forecastingprogressive
-
have been forecastingperfect progressive
-
has been forecastingperfect progressive
Past
-
forecastsimple
-
forecastedsimple
-
had forecastperfect
-
had forecastedperfect
-
was forecastingprogressive
-
were forecastingprogressive
-
had been forecastingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of forecast
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (verb) “to plan ahead of time”; see origin at fore-, cast ( def. )
Explanation
A forecast is a prediction of what will happen. If the weather forecast calls for sunny skies, consider leaving your umbrella at home. (But, since forecasts aren’t guaranteed to be right, don’t blame us if you get rained on.) While often used in the context of weather, forecast can also be used for other types of predictions such as those related to financial or political outcomes. Note that a forecast is typically a prediction made by experts. So, while a financial analyst might forecast fourth-quarter profits, your prediction about whether your friend will pay back the five dollars he owes you is more of a hunch than a forecast.
Vocabulary lists containing forecast
Power Prefix: fore-
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Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Physical Geography - Introductory
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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:
Storms are most often named when potentially damaging winds are forecast, but can also be named for flooding rain or disruptive snow.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
In what’s forecast to be a close race, even a marginal number of such voters could matter.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Many central banks publish some sort of forecast that lays out what policymakers or the central bank’s staff see as the most likely way the economy will evolve.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.8% increase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
He switched on Radio 2 for the weather forecast, then began cutting up the 1981 Highway Code with scissors.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Goldman Sachs forecasts that autonomous trucking will become cost-competitive with human-operated trucks in 2028 in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
“If our CPI and wage forecasts are close to the mark, this would likely strengthen MPC members’ conviction to embark on this path at their next meeting,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Investors choose to focus on the medians of the policymaker forecasts.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The National Hurricane Center described confidence in its intensity and track forecasts as "very low confidence," reflecting how the storm had repeatedly behaved differently than expected.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
“It has been my experience that apocalyptic forecasts on the U.S. financial markets are rarely realized within limited horizons,” one investor wrote to Burry.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
“When a wind event, Red Flag Warning, low humidity period, or other elevated fire weather is forecasted after a wildland fire, departments should reassess recently controlled fire areas before the weather arrives,” the report said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The company delivered sales near the high end of its forecasted range, but Wall Street was expecting more, and the stock had its worst day in more than a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The NPS said on Monday that a second body had been recovered, while warning that "forecasted weather may affect the timing and pace" of further search operations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Last season, only four teams featured in the forecasted top-four positions, but this time there are seven named, in 15 different combinations.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
In the decade following the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens, scientists accurately forecasted fourteen subsequent eruptions to within days or weeks.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Saudi Arabia saw one of the sharpest falls in projected growth, with the IMF forecasting a contraction of 3.3 percent -- a cut in the forecast of 5.0 percentage points.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Eastern on Wednesday, with Wall Street analysts forecasting the month-on-month core print, which omits energy and food, to fall to 0.2% from 0.3% in August.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
However, long-range forecasting is fraught with uncertainty and while the season as a whole may be mild, some chilly interludes are also anticipated.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Last year, Nardi and Mazzini also published research forecasting an increase in MHWs along the U.S.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
“I make my living forecasting the future for people,” he said.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
