predictable

adjective

pre·​dict·​able pri-ˈdik-tə-bəl 

1

: capable of being predicted : able to be known, seen, or declared in advance

a predictable reaction/outcome

a very predictable plot

changes occurring at a steady and predictable rate

2

: behaving in a way that is expected

I knew he would say that. He's so predictable.

predictability

pri-ˌdik-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

By comparing the projections, meteorologists can get a measure of the weather's predictability: The less agreement among the forecasts, the less predictable the weather.

—Richard Monastersky

Examples of predictable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Graham will bring more coverage disguises to a team that was sometimes predictable. — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Know More The accelerating pace of extreme weather has made snowfall on Vail’s properties less predictable. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Brown, the new Sixers star, recently sat down with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali for a slick Hollywood Reporter feature, and predictable as sunrise, Brown could not stick to basketball. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Unlike a one-time festival that an artist may miss because of scheduling or short notice, predictable programming gives artists time to prepare inventory and repeatedly introduce their work to potential collectors. — Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictable

• indictable
• unpredictable