predict

American  

[pri-dikt] / prɪˈdɪkt /

verb (used with object)

1. to declare or tell in advance; prophesy; foretell.

   to predict the weather; to predict the fall of a civilization.

   Synonyms:

   portend, prognosticate, project, augur, divine, presage

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verb (used without object)

1. to foretell the future; make a prediction.

   Synonyms:

   portend, prognosticate, project, augur, divine, presage

predict British  

/ prɪˈdɪkt /

verb

1. (tr; may take a clause as object) to state or make a declaration about in advance, esp on a reasoned basis; foretell

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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; 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.

Example Sentences

Economists predict a 55,000 increase in new jobs in April based on information collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Instead, I vacillated between forgetting all about cancer some days and feeling like death was imminent others, and it was hard to predict what would prompt either extreme.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

I don’t think I’ve ever been a good person to predict the future, but I think I’ve been a very good person at being exactly in the moment.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

"Working with our collaborators, we were able to merge the experimental observations with simulations to refine the models and better predict what we see in experiments."

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

She'd read about those who had vision marvels—people who could see into the past, predict the future, decode dreams and nightmares, decipher prophecies, and have special memories.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• anticipate
• call
• conclude
• envision
• forecast
• foresee
• think