forecast

[ fawr-kast, -kahst, fohr- ]

/ ˈfɔrˌkæst, -ˌkɑst, ˈfoʊr- /

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See synonyms for: forecast / forecasting / forecaster on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), fore·cast or fore·cast·ed, fore·cast·ing.

to predict (a future condition or occurrence); calculate in advance: to forecast a heavy snowfall; to forecast lower interest rates.

to serve as a prediction of; foreshadow.

to contrive or plan beforehand; prearrange.

verb (used without object), fore·cast or fore·cast·ed, fore·cast·ing.

to conjecture beforehand; make a prediction.

to plan or arrange beforehand.

noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR forecast

1 foretell, anticipate.

3 project.

4, 7 guess, estimate.

9 forethought, prescience.

See synonyms for forecast on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of forecast

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

synonym study for forecast

1. See predict.

OTHER WORDS FROM forecast

fore·cast·a·ble, adjectiveforecaster, nounre·fore·cast, verb (used with object), re·fore·cast or re·fore·cast·ed, re·fore·cast·ing.un·fore·cast, adjective

un·fore·cast·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use forecast in a sentence

So far, those initial forecasts were worse than what has actually taken place.
Why for-profit college enrollment has increased during Covid-19|Molly Ott|November 18, 2020|Quartz
When these forecasts turn out to be inaccurate, many turn against survey researchers, as we’ve recently seen.
In defense of pollsters|jakemeth|November 13, 2020|Fortune
Some of your choices will depend on data you gathered from other sources, such as the weather forecast.
Explainer: What is an algorithm?|Melissa L. Weber|November 12, 2020|Science News For Students
Say the final polling averages miss by a bit more than 3 points on average, as our forecast assumes.
The Polls Weren’t Great. But That’s Pretty Normal.|Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 11, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

We love our sports forecasts here at FiveThirtyEight, but one of the things that make the games great is when a team comes along and takes prognosticators by surprise.
The 2014-15 Kansas City Royals Were One Of Baseball’s Great Underdog Stories|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 11, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The modern professional forecaster would scorn to consult the entrails.
Wind and Weather|Alexander McAdie
"The Bureau at Washington would be glad of a series like that," put in the Forecaster.
The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men|Francis William Rolt-Wheeler
"You'll have to begin at the beginning, Anton," put in the Forecaster quietly.
The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men|Francis William Rolt-Wheeler
The Forecaster turned swiftly to the older boy and began examining the injury.
The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men|Francis William Rolt-Wheeler
The Forecaster pushed back his hat from his forehead and looked quizzically at the white-faced lad.
The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men|Francis William Rolt-Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for forecast

forecast

/ (ˈfɔːˌkɑːst) /

verb -casts, -casting, -cast or -casted

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

(tr) to serve as an early indication of

(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

Derived forms of forecast

forecaster, noun

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

forecast

OTHER WORDS FOR forecast

Origin of forecast

synonym study for forecast

OTHER WORDS FROM forecast

Words related to forecast

How to use forecast in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for forecast

Derived forms of forecast