prophetess

American  

[prof-i-tis] / ˈprɒf ɪ tɪs /

noun

1. a woman who speaks for God or a deity, or by divine inspiration.

2. a woman who foretells future events.

3. a woman who is aspokesperson of some doctrine, cause, or movement.

4. the wife or female companion of a prophet.

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Gender

See -ess.

Etymology

Origin of prophetess

1250–1300; Middle English prophetesse < Old French < Late Latin prophētissa. See prophet, -ess

Example Sentences

The 5-inch drawing depicts the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl, a blonde prophetess wearing a creamsicle gown painted onto the chapel ceiling’s eastern end.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

This immortal masterpiece, the “Jayaparajaya,” is the work of a prophetess named Pampa Kampana who died in 1565 at the age of 247.

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2023

Olive sees her as a prophetess of the new order, given proper coaching.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2018

Greek myths narrate the failure of prediction: For the Trojan prophetess Cassandra, those in power found ways to ignore even her perfect prophecy.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2016

The weak, unsteady light placed shadows under her mouth and in the sockets of her eyes, making the face impersonal with majesty, like the face of a prophetess, or like a mask.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin