predict
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Related Words
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
- mispredict verb
- predictability noun
- predictable adjective
- predictably adverb
- unpredicted adjective
- unpredicting adjective
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; pre-, dictum
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.
Now, some predict the constellation of rulings could change the fate of social media and rewrite the future of American tort law.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
Models that learn the physics and dynamics of the real world from video data to predict future states are becoming more important, the analysts add.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
To explore the biology behind these patterns, the team examined gene activity in eight organs at a stage when behavior could reliably predict lifespan.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
No one can predict how long the Iran war will last, how it might affect global energy prices, and how it might filter through to the American economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
By looking at the collective motion of groups of atoms, physicists could predict the way matter behaves.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
