predictability

American  

[pri-dik-tuh-bil-i-tee] / prɪˌdɪk təˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. consistent repetition of a state, course of action, behavior, or the like, making it possible to know in advance what to expect.

   The predictability of their daily lives was both comforting and boring.

2. the quality of being regarded as likely to happen, as behavior or an event.

   We were disheartened by the utter predictability of war.

---

Etymology

Origin of predictability

First recorded in 1850–55; predict(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )

Example Sentences

Large language models, a prominent form of artificial intelligence, rely on the predictability of language sequences to determine which part of a word is likely to appear next.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

But the absence of predictability should be a cause for concern.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

Cornyn, 74, represents institutional memory -- the belief that power is best preserved through coalition, predictability and incremental gain.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

"Competitiveness is won in operations, not treaties. Vietnam's advantage comes from speed, predictability and deep supply-chain integration, not just tariff access," said Kotla.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Part of the satisfaction of the Corelli style is that there is a predictability about its internal movement, and yet it is never tedious.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• consistency
• precision
• uniformity