foreseeable

adjective

fore·​see·​able fȯr-ˈsē-ə-bəl 

1

: being such as may be reasonably anticipated

foreseeable problems

foreseeable consequences

2

: lying within the range for which forecasts are possible

in the foreseeable future

foreseeability

fȯr-ˌsē-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Examples of foreseeable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Oil prices rise, stocks fall over Hormuz deadlock Oil prices rose and stocks slipped on growing signs that the Strait of Hormuz was likely to remain all but shut for the foreseeable future. —semafor.com, 29 May 2026

With Trevor Story out for the foreseeable future rehabbing from a sports hernia surgery, and third baseman Caleb Durbin struggling mightily at the plate, Sogard and Kiner-Falefa have entered the mix more. —Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 28 May 2026

With inflation now at its highest point in three years, elevated interest rates on hold by the Federal Reserve for the foreseeable future and market uncertainty pronounced thanks to the war with Iran, many savers may understandably be looking for alternative ways to protect and grow their money. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 28 May 2026

Hence, there’s no way to know if that $20 billion has led to enough capacity for the foreseeable future (not just for SpaceX, but for its multi-billion deal with Anthropic). —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing foreseeable

• in/for the foreseeable future

Rhymes for foreseeable

• agreeable
• disagreeable
• unenviable
• unforeseeable
• friable

Legal Definition

foreseeable

adjective

fore·​see·​able fōr-ˈsē-ə-bəl 

: such as reasonably can or should be anticipated : such that a person of ordinary prudence would expect to occur or exist under the circumstances

a foreseeable risk

the foreseeable expenses

a foreseeable plaintiff

foreseeably adverb