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
-
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:
It is not hard to forecast what this means for businesses building in this space.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
“If some app tries to tell you it has a fancier forecast, you roll your eyes a bit, because it all mostly comes from governments.”
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
There is a lot of uncertainty in the long-range forecast and you can keep up to date with your local prospects on the BBC Weather website and app.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
That was in line with the consensus forecast in a poll of economists conducted by data provider Quick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Therefore the government volcanologists called in to monitor and forecast St. Helens’s behavior primarily had seen only Hawaiian volcanoes in action, and they, it turned out, were not the same thing at all.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
“Global weather forecasts are made using predictive models—huge mathematical systems with thousands of lines of code, run on supercomputers,” he said.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
The off-price retailer said Thursday it now forecasts earnings per share of $8.61 to $8.77 for the year, up from its prior outlook of $7.50 to $7.74 a share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The dashboard also aggregates forecasts that put El Nino on course to peak at a 3.9C anomaly this November -- well above the 3C anomaly detected in the 2015 El Nino.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The brokerage cuts its earnings forecasts for ComfortDelGro by 8.7% for 2026, 12.6% for 2027, and 11.4% for 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
There was a whole tribe of men who made a living simply by selling systems, forecasts, and lucky amulets.
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
Maybank’s Brian Lee said inflation likely remains contained, with the core print unlikely to exceed the MAS’s forecasted range of 1.5% to 2.5% on a strong Singapore dollar and soft labor market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
They concluded that “the consensus view of $178 appears to underestimate peak EPS relative to our forecasted distribution of outcomes.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
"The hype is definitely here for the World Cup, it'll be here until the World Cup ends," he forecasted.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Because if I didn’t beat Elliot in this, he would go on to the next level of the Academy, and I’d be left behind, waiting for whatever awful future the letter forecasted to come true.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Their conclusion: “Human-made forecasting is still the best way to go, and even that is still wrong.”
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 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
Ahead of the decision to hold off on the new tariffs, analysts had been forecasting that Trump would back down.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Accurately measuring atmospheric density at these heights is therefore important for forecasting satellite motion and reducing the risk of collisions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Teachers began forecasting great things for me: some said I would make a good teacher, others maintained that I had the brains to become a doctor.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
