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

Using floppy modes—motions requiring almost no resistance—can guide predictable deformations, allowing materials to perform computations efficiently. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025

Paying cash can sometimes save money on smaller, predictable expenses — like an X-ray, or a routine lab test — but health insurance is meant to protect against unexpected, high-cost emergencies. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025

Usually there is a predictable pattern to the flow of money bet on games around the world, and the people who spend all day monitoring the betting markets develop a feel for when that flow is doing something inexplicable. —David Hill, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025

And while some rentals in the area offer on-site care at fluctuating market rates, as a Continuing Care Retirement Community, The Vi provides compassionate care at a more predictable cost, since those rates are built into a resident’s monthly fees. —Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictable

• indictable
• unpredictable