foresee

verb

fore·see | \ fȯr-ˈsē

foresaw\ fȯr-ˈsȯ

\; foreseen\ fȯr-ˈsēn

\; foreseeing

Definition of foresee

transitive verb

: to see (something, such as a development) beforehand He could not have foreseen the consequences of his actions. She foresaw the company's potential and invested early on.

Other Words from foresee Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about foresee

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Choose the Right Synonym for foresee

foresee, foreknow, divine, anticipate mean to know beforehand. foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience. economists should have foreseen the recession foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation. if only we could foreknow our own destinies divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment. was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens. the waiter anticipated our every need

Examples of foresee in a Sentence

We couldn't have foreseen the consequences of our actions. He foresees a day when all war will cease. She foresaw the company's potential and invested early on.

Recent Examples on the Web

Could the Air Force not foresee the possibility of having to evacuate the base and being forced to protect grounded jets from a hurricane? — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "More Than a Dozen F-22s May Have Been Damaged or Destroyed by Hurricane Michael," 15 Oct. 2018 Half the economists surveyed last month by the National Association of Business Economics foresee a recession starting in late 2019 or in early 2020, and two-thirds are predicting a slump by the end of 2020. — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, "The economy is humming. So why do experts foresee a recession in 2020?," 11 June 2018 This seems like a problem for any large organization — something that longtime business executive Donald Trump might have some experience with, and might even have been able to foresee as an issue. — Dara Lind, Vox, "There is always a Trump tweet, chiefs of staff edition," 8 Dec. 2018 To be fair, these are all mistakes that Tumblr appears to have foreseen. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "Tumblr is already flagging innocent posts as porn," 3 Dec. 2018 Longtime locals don't have to strain their imaginations to foresee what rain like that can do. — Michael Biesecker, Fox News, "Hurricane could flood many waste sites, creating toxic brew," 12 Sep. 2018 Circuit City was once the top electronics retailer in the country, but its failure to foresee just how quickly e-commerce rivals like Amazon would swallow its share of that market paved the road to bankruptcy for Circuit City a decade ago. — Tom Huddleston Jr., Fortune, "Circuit City Wants to Make a Comeback Online," 9 Jan. 2018 However, this recall shows that not all accidents can be foreseen and thankfully no incidents or injuries related to the Valco strollers have been reported. — Jasmin Radoncic, Good Housekeeping, "Recall Alert: Valco Baby Tri Mode Stroller," 15 Oct. 2010 Intubation, for instance, is often something a physician can foresee. — New York Times, "Breathing Tubes Fail to Save Many Older Patients," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foresee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.