prediction

American  

[pri-dik-shuhn] / prɪˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

• predictions
  plural

1. 

   an act of predicting.

2. an instance of this; prophecy.

   Synonyms:

   projection, divination, prognostication, augury, forecast

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prediction British  

/ prɪˈdɪkʃən /

noun

1. the act of predicting

2. something predicted; a forecast, prophecy, etc

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Usage

What does prediction mean? A prediction is a statement about what someone thinks will happen in the future. People make predictions all the time. Some are very serious and are based on scientific calculations, but many are just guesses. Example: Here’s a prediction: in 20 years, we’ll all drive less and eat a lot less meat.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• predictions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prediction

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin praedictiōn-, stem of praedictiō “prophecy”; equivalent to predict + -ion

Explanation

I have a prediction: You’ll know what this word means by the time you finish reading this explanation. A prediction is what someone thinks will happen. A prediction is a forecast, but not only about the weather. Pre means “before” and diction has to do with talking. So a prediction is a statement about the future. It’s a guess, sometimes based on facts or evidence, but not always. A fortune teller makes a prediction using a crystal ball. A meteorologist uses maps and scientific data to tell us about the possibility of rain, snow or sunshine. And when I made the prediction that you would understand what this word meant, it was based on instinct, a gut feeling telling me what would happen next.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prediction predictions

Now, the prediction market is bolstering compliance protocols and expanding its executive ranks as it eyes an IPO.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

A WSJ investigation found repeated compliance failures, fraud attacks and software glitches inside Polymarket, the highflying prediction market company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Plus, the young traders cashing in on prediction markets, and how a Boeing 737 MAX survived a nosedive near the speed of sound.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

The term is less a description of any particular food than a prediction about what happens when the people optimizing a restaurant become increasingly distant from the people cooking in it.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

All they were using for their prediction was their analysis of the surgeon’s tone of voice.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

And here’s hoping that Bill Plaschke will also be “That Guy” for his predictions this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Fitzsimmons was an early entrant to predictions, serving as a futures commission merchant, or intermediary, for traders looking to connect to bigger exchanges such as CME Group and Crypto.com, which offer the trades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

"This is a fundamental discovery that deviates from theoretical predictions," Yang said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

The levels are expected to appear in precise ratios, but until this experiment, those predictions had never been directly measured.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

The theory was a good scientific theory, in the sense described in Chapter 1: it was simple and it made definite predictions that could be tested by observation.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

• forecast
• forecasting
• guess
• indicator
• prognosis
• prophecy