predictable

[ pri-dik-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. able to be foretold or declared in advance:

   New technology allows predictable weather forecasting.

2. expected, especially on the basis of previous or known behavior:

   His complaints are so predictable.

Other Words From

• pre·dicta·bly adverb
• nonpre·dicta·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of predictable¹

First recorded in 1815–25; predict ( def ) + -able ( def )

Example Sentences

A growing movement of people are tooling with back-end code to create sites that are more collage-like and artsy, in the vein of Myspace and Tumblr—less predictable and formatted than Facebook and Twitter.

From MIT Technology Review

Some of the results were predictable, while others were surprising.

From Outside Online

They exposed qubits to irradiated copper whose emissions dropped over time in a predictable way, which showed them that coherence times rose as radiation levels fell up to a maximum of four milliseconds, after which background effects kicked in.

From Singularity Hub 

People need something in between, so researchers are trying to improve subseasonal forecasts, which look ahead a few weeks, using information from many sources, including predictable weather systems.

From Science News

In addition, our presidential model has traditionally applied a convention bounce adjustment that reflects the predictable boost in the polls that a party tends to get following its convention.

From FiveThirtyEight

Three were predictable: The Italians and French were, of course, wine imbibers and the Germans were deep in the beer cellar.

From The Daily Beast

Team Christie has greeted the committee's news with somewhat predictable gloating.

From The Daily Beast

There were exceptions, as our instructor, Kimberlee Sue Moran, pointed out, but criminals behaved in mostly predictable ways.

From The Daily Beast

A predictable, inflation-adjusted minimum wage would make business planning easier.

From The Daily Beast

Following an all too predictable cycle of the hyperactive 21st century, focus on the explosion was ephemeral.

From The Daily Beast

Literally there wasn't a man to whom he could turn whose answer and advice weren't as predictable as useless.

From Project Gutenberg

So very predictable, he mused fingering the face of his big, green lettered clock.

From Project Gutenberg

It was his firm desire to bring some chutzpah into the all too predictable and dreary cuisine on this part of the continent.

From Project Gutenberg

This kind of advertising had its predictable response: publication of the new Abridgment was postponed indefinitely.

From Project Gutenberg

The first escape was a blind run toward a predictable objective; all right, that was a danger to be avoided.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• certain