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forecast

American  
[fawr-kast, -kahst, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌkæst, -ˌkɑst, ˈfoʊr- /

verb (used with object)

forecast, forecasted, forecasting
  1. to predict (a future condition or occurrence); calculate in advance.

    to forecast a heavy snowfall; to forecast lower interest rates.

    Synonyms:
    anticipate, foretell
  2. to serve as a prediction of; foreshadow.

  3. to contrive or plan beforehand; prearrange.

    Synonyms:
    project

verb (used without object)

forecast, forecasted, forecasting
  1. to conjecture beforehand; make a prediction.

    Synonyms:
    estimate, guess
  2. to plan or arrange beforehand.

noun

  1. a prediction, especially as to the weather.

  2. a conjecture as to something in the future.

    Synonyms:
    estimate, guess
  3. the act, practice, or faculty of forecasting.

  4. Archaic. foresight in planning.

    Synonyms:
    prescience, forethought
forecast British  
/ ˈfɔːˌkɑːst /

verb

  1. to predict or calculate (weather, events, etc), in advance

  2. (tr) to serve as an early indication of

  3. (tr) to plan in advance

"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

noun

  1. a statement of probable future weather conditions calculated from meteorological data

  2. a prophecy or prediction

  3. the practice or power of forecasting

"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

Related Words

See predict.

Other Word Forms

  • forecastable adjective
  • forecaster noun
  • reforecast verb (used with object)reforecast, reforecasted, reforecasting
  • unforecast adjective
  • unforecasted adjective

Etymology

Origin of forecast

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (verb) “to plan ahead of time”; fore-, cast ( def. )

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.

Conditions are forecast to heat up Friday through the weekend, with temperatures at least 3 to 6 degrees above normal, according to the Weather Service.

From Los Angeles Times

To be sure, prediction markets can be poor at forecasting, as was shown with one Supreme Court pick years ago.

From MarketWatch

To be sure, prediction markets can be poor at forecasting, as was shown with one Supreme Court pick years ago.

From MarketWatch

These figures are down considerably from an October forecast that called for a profit of $24 billion, or $80 a share.

From Barron's

The prime minister insisted there was "no misleading", pointing to downgraded forecasts for economic productivity which he said meant the government had £16bn less than it otherwise would have had.

From BBC