foresee

1 of 2

verb

fore·​see fȯr-ˈsē 

foresaw fȯr-ˈsȯ  ; foreseen fȯr-ˈsēn  ; 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

fȯr-ˈsē-ər 

-ˈsir

noun

foreseer

2 of 2

noun

fore·​se·​er

: one that foresees

Synonyms of foresee

Verb

• anticipate

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

Verb

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

Verb

Alas, the actor did not foresee his countrymen losing to Morocco 1-0 on June 19, but took the L in stride. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026

The latter, on a break that stretched tired German legs, captured the story of a footballing mismatch few had foreseen. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 18 June 2026

Originally foreseen as the second Air Jordan of Michael’s post-player era, the Air Jordan 16 was designed by Wilson Smith III after Tinker Hatfield relinquished the reins. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 June 2026

As part of that, Warsh said the Fed could make changes to its usual release of projections every three months showing where Fed officials foresee interest rates, the economy and inflation heading. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foresee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

foresee

verb

fore·​see fōr-ˈsē 

fȯr-

foresaw -ˈsȯ  ; foreseen -ˈsēn  ; 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