predictability
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rule also validates the inclusion of lifetime income solutions, such as annuities, for American workers who need predictability in retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Approving an open-ended moratorium "will deliver stability and predictability for all traders", while showing that the WTO can deliver results, said Joseph Barloon, the US ambassador to the organisation.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
But Cohen said that it’s quite likely that in the near future, it will be possible to feed his research into a generative AI model and ask about the predictability of a particular fund’s trades.
From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026
They found high repetition of the signs and predictability in the subsequent symbols that is "comparable to much later proto-cuneiform," according to Bentz.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
He acknowledged that there was no way we could predict how exactly we’d manage things, given that neither of us wanted to be locked into the comfortable predictability of a lawyer’s life.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
