prophecy

[ prof-uh-see ]

/ ˈprɒf ə si /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prophecy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural proph·e·cies.

the foretelling or prediction of what is to come.

something that is declared by a prophet, especially a divinely inspired prediction, instruction, or exhortation.

a divinely inspired utterance or revelation: oracular prophecies.

the action, function, or faculty of a prophet.

Nearby words

property rights, property tax, propfan, prophage, prophase, prophecy, prophesy, prophet, prophetess, prophetic, prophets

Origin of prophecy

1175–1225; Middle English prophecie < Old French < Late Latin prophētīa < Greek prophēteía. See prophet, -y³

Can be confused

prophecy prophesy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for prophecy

“Instead of me fulfilling my prophecy,” he said, “I have to start one,” and that was a lot of pressure.
Broadway Was Made for Tupac|Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Marcyliena Morgan|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His prophecy kicked off a vertiginous frenzy of doomsaying, and he was thrown in jail by fearful Bolognese officials.
The Volcano That Rewrote History|William O’Connor|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
NB: Prophecy is the key source of mystery and danger in our books.
Historical Fiction: A Conversation Between Bruce Holsinger and Nancy Bilyeau|Nancy Bilyeau, Bruce Holsinger|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These Christians see the Syrian crisis as the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.
Sorry, Evangelicals, Syria Will Not Spur the Second Coming|Candida Moss|September 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

And nothing short of a sustained campaign that Washington has no stomach for can prevent this prophecy from materializing.
How U.S. Strikes on Syria Help al Qaeda|Barak Barfi|August 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was a hope which came from something one of the great poets of the past had said, in prophecy.
How to Tell Stories to Children|Sara Cone Bryant
For four innings it looked as though his prophecy would be fulfilled.
Baseball Joe in the World Series|Lester Chadwick
The prophecy of extirpation had been passed, but the cruel agent of its accomplishment was not thereby condoned.
The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Kings|F. W. Farrar
Some women's faces are in their brightness a prophecy, and some in their sadness a history.
Oriental Women|Edward Bagby Pollard
At your birth there was a prophecy which declared that if ever you left this village you would have to marry a woman with horns.
Mighty Mikko|Parker Fillmore

British Dictionary definitions for prophecy

prophecy

/ (ˈprɒfɪsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

a message of divine truth revealing God's will
the act of uttering such a message

a prediction or guess

the function, activity, or charismatic endowment of a prophet or prophets

Word Origin for prophecy

C13: ultimately from Greek prophētēs prophet

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012