predict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
predicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
predicted,
past participle, past
-
predicting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
predicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
predicted,
past participle, past
-
predicting
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
Predict, prophesy, foresee, forecast mean to know or tell (usually correctly) beforehand what will happen. To predict is usually to foretell with precision of calculation, knowledge, or shrewd inference from facts or experience: The astronomers can predict an eclipse; it may, however, be used without the implication of underlying knowledge or expertise: I predict she'll be a success at the party. Prophesy usually means to predict future events by the aid of divine or supernatural inspiration: Merlin prophesied the two knights would meet in conflict; this verb, too, may be used in a more general, less specific sense. I prophesy he'll be back in the old job. To foresee refers specifically not to the uttering of predictions but to the mental act of seeing ahead; there is often (but not always) a practical implication of preparing for what will happen: He was clever enough to foresee this shortage of materials. Forecast has much the same meaning as predict; it is used today particularly of the weather and other phenomena that cannot easily be accurately predicted: Rain and snow are forecast for tonight. Economists forecast a rise in family income.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
predictabilitynoun
-
mispredictverb
-
predictableadjective
-
unpredictedadjective
-
unpredictingadjective
-
predictablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
predictsimple
-
predictssimple
-
have predictedperfect
-
has predictedperfect
-
am predictingprogressive
-
are predictingprogressive
-
is predictingprogressive
-
have been predictingperfect progressive
-
has been predictingperfect progressive
Past
-
predictedsimple
-
had predictedperfect
-
was predictingprogressive
-
were predictingprogressive
-
had been predictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of predict
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin praedictus, past participle of praedīcere “to foretell,” equivalent to prae- “before, earlier” + dic-, variant stem of dīcere “to say” + -tus past participle suffix; see pre-, dictum
Explanation
To predict is to say what you think is going to happen in the future. If you predict that you'll win the poker championship, you're either really confident in your poker skills or you're cheating. The prefix pre means "before." Dict comes from the Latin dicere, which means "to say," yet you can use predict to refer to things that can't say anything at all. Darkening skies can predict a coming storm, for example, and a runny nose can predict a cold. You can predict something based on factual evidence, or on a crystal-ball reading, or just on plain intuition.
Vocabulary lists containing predict
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Lethal surges of mud and water that hit "like liquid concrete" are nearly impossible to predict and can't be outrun.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
While they have always involved a bit of guesswork, these estimates are especially squishy when it comes to trying to predict how the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence will upend entire industries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
She had expected the process to be emotional; what she didn't predict was just how complex and frustrating it would be, at times leaving her tearful and furious.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
It does not appear in every nucleus, and researchers have not been able to reliably predict where it will occur.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
But my fortune-teller ain't never predict this, that's for sure.
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
Theory predicts that when a vacuum is exposed to an extraordinarily strong magnetic field, Heisenberg's virtual particles can affect how light travels, producing vacuum birefringence, or VB.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Morgan Stanley predicts overall humanoid-robot shipments in China will reach 50,000 units this year and more than 440,000 by 2030.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
With unseasonably warm weather and the start of an El Niño cycle, Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe predicts this sighting is just the start of a ‘very sharky summer.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Soberingly, Bank of America’s chief equity strategist Michael Hartnett predicts that the milestone of $50 trillion will be reached in July 2029.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Nevertheless, he predicts we’ll have to stay here until the end of ’43.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
I don't think I predicted a single Brighton result right last season they're just impossible to call.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Hamiltonianism, he predicted, “will dominate American conservative economic thinking for the future.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Would you say things turned out better or worse than the future you predicted in “Life During Wartime”? Well, we’re not having a total civil war.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Nearly 90 years ago, Werner Heisenberg predicted a strange quantum effect known as vacuum birefringence, in which seemingly empty space can change the way light behaves.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Dad predicted she would, and once again, he was right.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
These are the reasons I am predicting a Premier League drop-off for the Cherries - but would not be surprised to see this one defied.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Despite Paramount predicting cost savings and reduction in debt over time, “those savings will take several years to fully realize,” the report said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Understanding how natural emissions influences clouds is critical for predicting climate changes in this region.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026
And these markets have been pretty good at predicting elections in the past.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
He sounded like a weatherman when he’s predicting a really bad storm.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
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.
