predictable
Americanadjective
-
able to be foretold or declared in advance.
New technology allows predictable weather forecasting.
-
expected, especially on the basis of previous or known behavior.
His complaints are so predictable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of predictable
First recorded in 1815–25; predict ( def. ) + -able ( def. )
Explanation
If you can predict it, I predict you'll call it predictable. In other words, anything that you can see or know before it happens is predictable. When she got out the fine china early in Act I, you could just tell the stuff would be smashed in Act III. It was all too predictable. Given the facts of their lives, the end of their relationship was predictable: he was married, and so was she, but not to each other. The roots of the word are fun to analyze: pre- means "before," dict means "to say," and able means, well, "able." Put them together, and you'll see that predictable means "able to be said before (it happens)" or, simply, something you know of before it happens.
Vocabulary lists containing predictable
-able
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The Egypt Game
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Words to Describe a Movie
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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.
A higher-volatility regime could erode the predictable way stocks and bonds move together, undermining the typical 60/40 portfolio that bets safe-haven assets, like bonds, will rise when the stock market crashes, offsetting the losses.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
There was no predictable or specific job title within agencies for Tennis Cabinet members.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
A developer can build them, fill them with renters, and then sell the entire building to an investor, such as a pension fund or a real estate investment trust, for a predictable profit.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
Businesses can adapt to higher fuel costs if those costs remain stable and predictable.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
The value of the partial sums flips back and forth between 1 and 0; it’s not really heading to a predictable destination.
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.
