foreseeable
Americanadjective
-
as far as can be seen.
Our objective is to make travel around the city quick, easy, and trouble-free for the foreseeable future.
-
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.
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of foreseeable
Explanation
If you know something’s coming, it’s foreseeable. Foreseeable things can be predicted or guessed ahead of time. If there’s no money for you in the foreseeable future, you better get a job. The adjective foreseeable most often turns up in the phrase "the foreseeable future," which basically means "as far in the future as I can predict." The meaning is in the word – it’s the “before” you’re “able” to “see.” You might be so mad at your sister that you tell her you won't drive her to school for the foreseeable future — in other words, you can't, at this point, imagine a time when you'll be willing to give her a ride.
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.
This agreement effectively removes competitors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman as participants in the next-generation program for the foreseeable future, they wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
That doesn’t mean you should pay his rent for the foreseeable ever.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
But while a particular outcome might not have been foreseeable, the decision to delegate was deliberate and made by identifiable people based on evidence they either had or should have sought.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Alexandra Reeve Givens, who previously worked in government and now leads the US non-profit the Center for Democracy and Technology, said she did not think meaningful federal AI regulation would pass in the foreseeable future.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
In and of itself it was a remarkable fact: The catastrophe was foreseeable, yet only a handful noticed.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
