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

The outcome was predictable: Six innings of shutout ball in which the Dodgers managed only five hits, one walk and struck out seven times. —Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025

That smarter routing means fewer delays and more predictable delivery times for customers. —Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

The menu is brief and, on paper, somewhat predictable: a tiramisu, Italian cookies, an ice-cream sundae. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 6 July 2025

As America braces for another storm season, only the media storms are more predictable than upcoming hurricanes and tornadoes. —Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictable

• indictable
• unpredictable