predict
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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
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predictabilitynoun
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mispredictverb
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predictableadjective
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unpredictedadjective
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unpredictingadjective
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predictablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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predictsimple
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predictssimple
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have predictedperfect
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has predictedperfect
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am predictingprogressive
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are predictingprogressive
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is predictingprogressive
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have been predictingperfect progressive
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has been predictingperfect progressive
Past
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predictedsimple
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had predictedperfect
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was predictingprogressive
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were predictingprogressive
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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
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 1
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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.
Barclays analysts predict that, sometime within the next 12 to 24 months, investors will see evidence of quantum superiority over classical systems on “useful problems.”
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
The discovery could eventually help doctors better predict how MS will progress in individual patients.
From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026
“I can’t predict the future. I don’t have an eight ball in front of me. We’ll see what happens.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
Declining oil prices are likely to send the main PCE index decelerating to around 3.5% by year-end, top Fed officials and Wall Street economists predict.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026
“Are you going to use it to predict the future?”
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
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.
