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
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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
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forecasts
plural
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a prediction, especially as to the weather.
-
a conjecture as to something in the future.
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the act, practice, or faculty of forecasting.
-
Archaic. foresight in planning.
- Synonyms:
- prescience, forethought
verb
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to predict or calculate (weather, events, etc), in advance
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(tr) to serve as an early indication of
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(tr) to plan in advance
noun
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a statement of probable future weather conditions calculated from meteorological data
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a prophecy or prediction
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the practice or power of forecasting
Synonym Usage
See predict.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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forecasternoun
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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
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have forecastperfect
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have forecastedperfect
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has forecastperfect
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has forecastedperfect
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am forecastingprogressive
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are forecastingprogressive
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is forecastingprogressive
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have been forecastingperfect progressive
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has been forecastingperfect progressive
Past
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forecastsimple
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forecastedsimple
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had forecastperfect
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had forecastedperfect
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was forecastingprogressive
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were forecastingprogressive
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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:
However, due to the hit-and-miss nature of showers, some places will miss the rain and weather apps may struggle to get the detail of the forecast correct.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Zoom’s third-quarter earnings guidance of $1.46 to $1.48 an adjusted share fell short of Wall Street’s forecast of $1.50 an adjusted share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
With scorching temperatures forecast this week across Southern California, L.A. city and county agencies are preparing for worst-case scenarios.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
During the morning on Wednesday, the storms may spread further north into the Midlands and the Peak District but the forecast becomes less certain in terms of location and intensity.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
By noon it was apparent that the weather forecast was in error.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
The Danish drugmaker recently raised its guidance and now forecasts sales growth ranging from flat to minus 6%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
For these stocks and others that passed the screen, the question is whether or not the companies can meet or exceed these forecasts for very strong revenue growth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
It said non-GAAP net income was RMB28.5 billion, down 13% from the same period of the previous year, but about 5% higher than forecasts.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Ong raises Dialog’s FY 2027-2028 EPS forecasts by 6%-9%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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
“Gas prices have recovered since the April lows, and we believe Henry Hub has more room to run, especially if the forecasted heat shows up in the coming weeks.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The report also highlights the steep increase in the number of Pip recipients in recent years and the forecasted rise in spending on the benefit.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The company now anticipates spending between $125 billion and $145 billion in 2026, up from a forecasted range of $115 billion to $135 billion previously.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 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
The weather service is forecasting high temperatures of up to 108 degrees across the lower mountains and foothills and Cuyama Valley, according to the red flag warning, which goes into effect at 10 a.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The forecasting exercise Warsh participated in from 2007-11 received less attention than it does today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Valuation indicators are more helpful for long-term forecasting than short-term market timing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
"We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event", said Prof Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the UK Met Office.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Those forecasting a swift and tidy end to the war had been numerous but wrong.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
