foresee

verb

fore·​see fȯr-ˈsē How to pronounce foresee (audio)
foresaw fȯr-ˈsȯ How to pronounce foresee (audio) ; foreseen fȯr-ˈsēn How to pronounce foresee (audio) ; foreseeing

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.
foreseer noun
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 Current estimates for next year’s earnings only foresee a return to 2023 levels around $3.12 a share, still well below its record $4.07 record from 2022. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2024 Fishburne foresees a resurgence of the formal dining room—turning it into a place that can be used daily for family meals rather than just on special occasions. Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2024 Many companies currently operate with a mix of legacy technologies and foresee difficulties in implementing a unified set of solutions supported by integrated and interoperable programming and platforms for robotics and automation. Aditya Ranjan, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 And that's something that 25 years ago this week none of us could have foreseen or even dared to hope for. EW.com, 21 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foresee 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foresee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foresee was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near foresee

Cite this Entry

“Foresee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foresee. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

foresee

verb
fore·​see fōr-ˈsē How to pronounce foresee (audio)
fȯr-
foresaw -ˈsȯ How to pronounce foresee (audio) ; foreseen -ˈsēn How to pronounce foresee (audio) ; foreseeing
: to see or realize beforehand : expect
foreseeable
-ˈsē-ə-bəl
adjective
foreseer
-ˈsē-ər
noun

Legal Definition

foresee

transitive verb
fore·​see
foresaw; foreseen; foreseeing
: to be aware of the reasonable possibility of (as an occurrence or development) beforehand

More from Merriam-Webster on foresee

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