predict

To make a prediction: to forecast, foretell, or estimate a future event on the basis of knowledge and reasoning; to prophesy a future event on the basis of mystical knowledge or power.

Noun

  1. A prediction.
    • Or say with Princes if it shall go well, / By oft predict that I in heaven find. - 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 14”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold...

Origin

Early 17th century, from Latin praedicō (“to mention beforehand”) (perfect passive participle praedictus), from prae- (“before”) + dīcō (“to say”). Equivalent to Germanic forespeak, foretell, and foresay.

Forms

predicts prædict

Verb

  1. To make a prediction: to forecast, foretell, or estimate a future event on the basis of knowledge and reasoning; to prophesy a future event on the basis of mystical knowledge or power.
    • After he had renounced his fathers bishoprick of Valentia in Spaine... and to attaine by degrees the Maiesty of Cesar, was created Duke of that place, gaue for his poesie, Aut Cesar, aut nihil. which being not fauoured...
    • Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry’s death, which he found extremely annoying. - 2000 July 8, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], “Mad-Eye Moody”, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter; 4),...
    • The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier. - 2012, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette...
  2. To imply.
    • It is interesting to see how clearly theory predicts the difference between the ascending and descending curves of a dynamo. - 1886, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 177. 338:
    • For both men and women, greater symmetry predicted a larger number of past sex partners. - 1996 June 3, Geoffrey Cowley, “The biology of beauty”, in Newsweek:
  3. To make predictions.
    • The devil can both predict and make predictors. - 1652, J. Gaule, Πυς-μαντια the mag-astro-mancer, 196
  4. To direct a ranged weapon against a target by means of a predictor.
    • They're predicting us now; looks like a barrage. - 1943, L. Cheshire, Bomber Pilot, iii. 57:

Forms

predicts predicting predicted no-table-tags glossary predict predictest predictedst predicteth - prædict

Synonyms

foretell forespell forespeak halsen anticipate augur bode call divine forecast foredeem forehold foresee foreshadow predict presage prognosticate prophesy

Antonyms

retrodict

Hyponyms

scry

Related

predictability predictable predictably prediction predictive predictively predictiveness predictor portend intuit divination oracle precognition precognitive

Derived

hopedict mispredict outpredict overpredict predictedly predicter predictingly predictory repredict underpredict underpredicted underpredicting unpredict unpredicted