unpredictable
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unpredictable
First recorded in 1855–60; un- 1 + predictable
Explanation
When something's unpredictable, it doesn't happen at expected times or it can't be predicted. If trains were unpredictable, they wouldn't follow a set schedule and you'd never know when one would arrive. The adjective unpredictable can also describe something that's unexpected or not known in advance. Your soccer team's skill level might be wildly unpredictable — from game to game your coach never knows what you guys will do. It can be an insult if someone calls you an unpredictable person. That means people can't rely on you for things, such as consistently good work or keeping your promises.
Vocabulary lists containing unpredictable
Power Prefix: un-
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Speak
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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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.
California’s budget revenue also is vulnerable to dramatic and at times unpredictable swings from year to year based on stock market activity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The cream of the culinary crop, looking ahead to unpredictable ingredient availability, quality and prices, are rearranging their shelves accordingly.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Xi has found a way to manage one of the world's most unpredictable leaders.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
In this market, with stubbornly high interest rates and unpredictable demand for condos, which involve HOA fees, it could take months to sell.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
She was suddenly afraid that Beverly might do something drastic and unpredictable, like try to pick up Alice Nebbley and look underneath her.
From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
