as in prophetic
being a sign of a later course of events
unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 turned out to be a predictive event, for the next decade was consumed by the Great Depression
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Recent Examples of predictive
The proliferation of predictive market platforms is misleading Americans, particularly our youth, to conflate investing and online sports betting.
—
Mick Mulvaney, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
As the system grows increasingly confident in its predictive logic, a conflict emerges between an AI that relies on statistical certainty and humans who resist surrendering moral judgment to algorithms.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
By automating complex resource management and enabling real-time data processing at scale, AI makes the cloud more efficient, predictive, and indispensable for virtually all industries.
—Marc Saltzman, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Academics, investors, and data journalists like Nate Silver argued that highly liquid markets — where contracts can be bought and sold continuously, like securities — might produce powerful new predictive signals.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predictive
Mick Mulvaney, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
As the system grows increasingly confident in its predictive logic, a conflict emerges between an AI that relies on statistical certainty and humans who resist surrendering moral judgment to algorithms.
—Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
By automating complex resource management and enabling real-time data processing at scale, AI makes the cloud more efficient, predictive, and indispensable for virtually all industries.
—Marc Saltzman, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Academics, investors, and data journalists like Nate Silver argued that highly liquid markets — where contracts can be bought and sold continuously, like securities — might produce powerful new predictive signals.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predictive
Adjective
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What these changes bode for the business side is another matter altogether—one outside the control of crews and, for that matter, outside the prophetic purview of critics.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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That proved to be prophetic, and the winner of Saturday’s early game will face the winner of Arizona-Michigan in Monday night’s national championship game.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The receptionist works behind a period cabinet converted into the sort of desk Philip Marlowe would happily put his feet on and Art Deco ornamentations abound, from the beautiful clocks, to the slightly sinister candlesticks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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The horror film stars Zazie Beetz as a housekeeper who works in a sinister high-rise apartment.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predictive. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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