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

However, like the questions, Fleetwood’s answers became predictable. —Elise Devlin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025

As medical inflation becomes more predictable, UNH can price future policies more precisely, gradually restoring margins. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

The bloody ending feels unavoidable from the beginning, almost as predictable as human nature itself. —Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025

Routines and shared responsibilities like clean-up time for Ashley Graham's kids make mornings smoother and more predictable. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictable

• indictable
• unpredictable