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
-
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
-
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
-
to predict or calculate (weather, events, etc), in advance
-
(tr) to serve as an early indication of
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(tr) to plan in advance
noun
-
a statement of probable future weather conditions calculated from meteorological data
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a prophecy or prediction
-
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
-
have forecastperfect
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have forecastedperfect
-
has forecastperfect
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has forecastedperfect
-
am forecastingprogressive
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are forecastingprogressive
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is forecastingprogressive
-
have been forecastingperfect progressive
-
has been forecastingperfect progressive
Past
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forecastsimple
-
forecastedsimple
-
had forecastperfect
-
had forecastedperfect
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was forecastingprogressive
-
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:
The announcement came in conjunction with Sandisk’s earnings report, in which it gave a revenue forecast that calls for $12.2 billion to $12.6 billion during the December quarter.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Analysts had forecast 3.33 billion euros in revenue, according to Visible Alpha.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Reforms along these lines could potentially make some savings to the welfare bill relative to the existing trajectory of rising spending, as well as reducing forecast welfare spending as share of GDP.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Storms will start to arrive on Friday, with stray showers in isolated areas and maximum temperatures 5 to 10 degrees below normal, according to the forecast from the National Weather Service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
I was on Shreddie number three, and the radio weather forecast was saying it was set fair but with a risk of showers in the southeast.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Healey was pressed over warnings that the £100 energy bill support would not be enough as forecasts suggest an annual bill could increase by a far greater amount from January.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
The platform also said it has a target for subscription revenue of between $4.245 billion and $4.255 billion, marking a growth rate of 22.5% to 23% and meeting forecasts at the lower end.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
U.S. jobless claims were subdued again last week, defying forecasts for an uptick as the labor market remains slow but sturdy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
People are facing a "painful" and "depressing" few years ahead, economic think tanks have warned, after forecasts showed growth in living standards grinding almost to a halt.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
“It has been my experience that apocalyptic forecasts on the U.S. financial markets are rarely realized within limited horizons,” one investor wrote to Burry.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Revenue fell 4% to $2.7 billion, but not by as much as analysts forecasted, which was for a drop to $2.67 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
“When a wind event, Red Flag Warning, low humidity period, or other elevated fire weather is forecasted after a wildland fire, departments should reassess recently controlled fire areas before the weather arrives,” the report said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
A heat hazard is an official designation for an event where it is forecasted that temperatures will be more than 31C at some point during the race on Sunday.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
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
In the decade following the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens, scientists accurately forecasted fourteen subsequent eruptions to within days or weeks.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
However, the OBR also emphasised the difficulties in economic forecasting, highlighting uncertainty over the future path of inflation, in particular, which could turn out to be either significantly higher or lower than their predictions.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Derek Tang, co-founder of forecasting firm LH Meyer, said the market has a very difficult time understanding when the rate hikes will end.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
All 23 economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected no change, with most forecasting another increase in November.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The medium-term outlook is more positive, with CRU forecasting up to 6 million tons by 2030 as new projects come online.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Now the experts hustled to explain their faulty forecasting.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
