forecast
Americanverb (used with object)
-
forecasts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forecasted,
past participle, past
-
forecast,
past participle, past
-
forecasting
present participle
-
to predict (a future condition or occurrence); calculate in advance.
to forecast a heavy snowfall; to forecast lower interest rates.
- Synonyms:
- anticipate, foretell
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to serve as a prediction of; foreshadow.
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to contrive or plan beforehand; prearrange.
- Synonyms:
- project
verb (used without object)
-
forecasts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forecasted,
past participle, past
-
forecast,
past participle, past
-
forecasting
present participle
noun
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forecasts
plural
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a prediction, especially as to the weather.
-
a conjecture as to something in the future.
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the act, practice, or faculty of forecasting.
-
Archaic. foresight in planning.
- Synonyms:
- prescience, forethought
verb
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to predict or calculate (weather, events, etc), in advance
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(tr) to serve as an early indication of
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(tr) to plan in advance
noun
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a statement of probable future weather conditions calculated from meteorological data
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a prophecy or prediction
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the practice or power of forecasting
Synonym Usage
See predict.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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forecasternoun
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reforecastverb (used with object)
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forecastableadjective
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unforecastadjective
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unforecastedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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forecastsimple
-
forecastssimple
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have forecastperfect
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have forecastedperfect
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has forecastperfect
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has forecastedperfect
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am forecastingprogressive
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are forecastingprogressive
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is forecastingprogressive
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have been forecastingperfect progressive
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has been forecastingperfect progressive
Past
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forecastsimple
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forecastedsimple
-
had forecastperfect
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had forecastedperfect
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was forecastingprogressive
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were forecastingprogressive
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had been forecastingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of forecast
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (verb) “to plan ahead of time”; see origin at fore-, cast ( def. )
Explanation
A forecast is a prediction of what will happen. If the weather forecast calls for sunny skies, consider leaving your umbrella at home. (But, since forecasts aren’t guaranteed to be right, don’t blame us if you get rained on.) While often used in the context of weather, forecast can also be used for other types of predictions such as those related to financial or political outcomes. Note that a forecast is typically a prediction made by experts. So, while a financial analyst might forecast fourth-quarter profits, your prediction about whether your friend will pay back the five dollars he owes you is more of a hunch than a forecast.
Vocabulary lists containing forecast
Power Prefix: fore-
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Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Physical Geography - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Barclays maintains its Brent crude oil forecast of $96.00 per barrel for 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Long Beach is forecast to peak at 86 degrees Thursday; Santa Monica at 79 degrees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The rain falling Monday on the area -- with more forecast on and off throughout the week -- was a welcome development.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
There is some welcome rain forecast this week, though it's not likely to be significant or bring any change to the dry conditions.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Bored, I stifle a yawn and stare out at the empty courtyard, the cold winds and the forecast of snow driving everyone inside.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
UBS forecasts 2026 Ebitda of $15.2 billion versus company guidance of $10.5 billion-$12.5 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
There appeared little major reaction to data showing Japan's economic growth fell short of forecasts in the second quarter.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The fire severity index —how severe a fire could be, should one to start — will come down to low or moderate, according to forecasts from Natural England and the Met Office.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Combined with persistently high freight rates, this supports higher profit forecasts, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
So the citizens of Oxford read the weather forecasts in the newspaper, and enjoyed the pale sun on their faces, and began to put their sandbags away.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Management forecasted revenue of $650 million, missing Wall Street estimates of $807 million.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
That’s a level often viewed as fairly valued, although PEG ratios rely heavily on forecasted growth, which is based on Wall Street estimates and can be misleading at times.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Maybank’s Brian Lee said inflation likely remains contained, with the core print unlikely to exceed the MAS’s forecasted range of 1.5% to 2.5% on a strong Singapore dollar and soft labor market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The designation comes at any event where the temperature is forecasted to exceed 31C at any time the cars are on track.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The weatherman had forecasted a record high for the day of the meet.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
The memory-chip maker outlines an ambitious long-term financial plan, forecasting average gross margins of around 80% and operating margins near 75% between fiscal 2028 and 2030.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Such monitoring could improve space weather forecasting and contribute to safer, more dependable satellite operations in the future.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
The company is guiding for $17.9 billion to $18.1 billion in revenue during the current fiscal first quarter, while analysts are forecasting $18.04 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
China's NMC issued a red typhoon alert -- its most severe warning -- on Sunday morning, forecasting "extraordinary torrential rain" in some areas of central and eastern Zhejiang.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
It never would have occurred to me those words were forecasting my imminent and terrifying future.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
