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
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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:
A few indicators can help forecast which environment we’re headed into.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
It will feel warm and muggy - especially where there are sunny spells - although heavy rain also features in the forecast.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The brokerage lifts this fiscal year’s operating-profit forecast for the Japanese company to 46.5 billion yen from Y45.7 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“The sticky tropical air will finally exit the region by this weekend,” the weather service wrote in its Friday forecast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
A memory, a present event, and a forecast all equally present.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
CelcomDigi is preferred over Maxis, with greater scope for earnings to improve as merger-related cost savings aren’t fully reflected in forecasts, she says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
If those relationships weaken or change, forecasts based on historical behavior may become less reliable.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Oracle shares were climbing on Friday after the cloud and software group delivered a solid quarter and lifted earnings and revenue forecasts, but to somewhat mixed reviews on Wall Street.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The UK is set for wetter and warmer-than-normal weather this autumn, driven by a strengthening El Niño, according to the latest forecasts from the Met Office.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
It is possible to predict radio bursts from Jupiter with better reliability than weather forecasts on Earth, by computing the position of Io.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The NPS said on Monday that a second body had been recovered, while warning that "forecasted weather may affect the timing and pace" of further search operations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 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 hype is definitely here for the World Cup, it'll be here until the World Cup ends," he forecasted.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Because if I didn’t beat Elliot in this, he would go on to the next level of the Academy, and I’d be left behind, waiting for whatever awful future the letter forecasted to come true.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is less pessimistic, forecasting global oil-demand growth of around 400,000 barrels a day this year, while expecting growth to accelerate to roughly 2.4 million barrels a day in 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Understanding how strongly the Indian and Pacific oceans influence each other is important for climate forecasting.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
Now the researchers are using the mass of information to develop AI models that can speed up and expand vital weather and climate forecasting.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Albertsons in July said it would accelerate investments and operational changes aimed at improving its competitive position after cutting its full-year earnings guidance and forecasting a decline in identical sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
“I make my living forecasting the future for people,” he said.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
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.
