foreseeable
Americanadjective
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as far as can be seen.
Our objective is to make travel around the city quick, easy, and trouble-free for the foreseeable future.
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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.
So keeping interest rates higher for longer means getting a business loan, a mortgage, and even a job may be harder for the foreseeable future.
From Slate • Jun. 17, 2026
“So, as we move through the second half of this year and into fiscal 2027, we’re expecting a fair amount of pressure on our protein structure, at least over the foreseeable future.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
The technology is still viewed as a speculative bet and likely will be for the foreseeable future, no matter how many companies go public.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
She was fine, but her sister in Anaheim has friends staying with them for the foreseeable future.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
With Argentinian beef, Colombian platinum, and a multitude of raw materials from Brazil, the Nazis could keep their war machine going for the foreseeable future.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
