foreseeable

[fawr-see-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. as far as can be seen.

   Our objective is to make travel around the city quick, easy, and trouble-free for the foreseeable future.

2. able to be known or seen in advance.

   A key finding was that the fire was foreseeable, and both the mine owner and the regulatory agencies could have prevented it from occurring.

Other Word Forms

• foreseeability noun
• unforeseeable adjective
• unforeseeableness noun
• unforeseeably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreseeable¹

foresee + -able

Example Sentences

In a statement, Danbury Parish Council said "no adult hardball cricket" could be played at the venue "for the foreseeable future".

From BBC

Los Angeles developer Cliff Goldstein just completed a plush new apartment complex on the Westside, but that’s the last one he’s going to build for the foreseeable future.

From Los Angeles Times

Lola Young has said she will be cancelling her upcoming shows "for the foreseeable future", days after she collapsed on stage during a performance in New York.

From BBC

Right now, Leoni says she and her boyfriend will be living at home for the foreseeable future.

From BBC

ABC pulled the plug after Nexstar Media, one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, said its stations would not air the show "for the foreseeable future".

From BBC

Related Words

• likely 
• predicted www.thesaurus.com
• proposed 
• scheduled 

When To Use

What does foreseeable mean?

If something is foreseeable, it means it can be predicted or identified in advance.Foreseeable is the adjective form of the verb foresee, which means to see or know beforehand.Foreseeable is often used in the phrase the foreseeable future, referring to the span of time in the near future about which reasonable assumptions can be made.Example: Unfortunately, due to the road closure we’ll be taking the detour for the foreseeable future.