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

But recovery timelines rarely move in predictable stages. —Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026

Seed potatoes ensure predictable harvests, unlike potatoes from true potato seeds. —Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 May 2026

In addition, the risk of fast water should be predictable from real time rainfall totals, though that would not know about blockages or other factors that could affect this. —Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

And it was used to not completely tear down their own identity, but rather to tweak their identity to maximize its efficiency against this specific opponent, an opponent that rarely comes with surprises, an opponent that is highly predictable. —Sean Gentille, New York Times, 23 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictable

• indictable
• unpredictable