prophetic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a prophet or prophecy
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containing or of the nature of a prophecy; predictive
Other Word Forms
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hyperpropheticadjective
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hyperpropheticaladjective
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hyperpropheticallyadverb
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nonpropheticadjective
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nonpropheticaladjective
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nonpropheticallyadverb
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postpropheticadjective
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postpropheticaladjective
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prepropheticadjective
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propheticalitynoun
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propheticallyadverb
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propheticalnessnoun
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pseudopropheticadjective
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pseudopropheticaladjective
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quasi-propheticadjective
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quasi-propheticaladjective
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quasi-propheticallyadverb
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unpropheticadjective
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unpropheticaladjective
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unpropheticallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of prophetic
First recorded in 1585–95; from Late Latin prophēticus, from Greek prophētikós; equivalent to prophet + -ic
Explanation
If you make a prediction and it comes true, your words were prophetic. Like the time you warned your dad against eating a whole box of donuts. He got sick, right? That was a prophetic warning. The adjective prophetic traces all the way back to the Greek word prophētikos, meaning "predicting." You know who's really good at predicting stuff? Prophets. Usually, prophetic is used to describe a thing — like a warning, a feeling, or a complaint — rather than a person.
Vocabulary lists containing prophetic
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "P"
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The Suffix -ic, Part 2
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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.
Robert Altemeyer, a Canadian psychologist, described such people in 2006 in an eerily prophetic manner:
From Salon • May 18, 2026
With one prophetic line from a vocal sample, Landry set her career in motion: “No one can stop me now.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
McIlroy's belief that finally landing the Green Jacket last year would pave the way for more major victories proved prophetic.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
The Jesse Jackson I remember began his career as a prophetic voice to the nation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
The chaplain memorized the prophetic words solemnly, entranced further by their esoteric import.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
