predict

verb pre·dict \ pri-ˈdikt \

Definition of predict

transitive verb

:to declare or indicate in advance; especially :foretell on the basis of observation, experience, or scientific reason

intransitive verb

:to make a prediction

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predictability

play \-ˌdik-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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predictable

play \-ˈdik-tə-bəl\ adjective

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predictive

play \-ˈdik-tiv\ adjective

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predictively

play \-lē\ adverb

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predictor

play \-ˈdik-tər\ noun

See predict defined for English-language learners

See predict defined for kids

Examples of predict in a Sentence

All the local forecasters are predicting rain for this afternoon.
She claims that she can predict future events.
It's hard to predict how the election will turn out.
Many people predicted that the store would fail, but it has done very well.
Sales are predicted to be the same as last year.

Recent Examples of predict from the Web

Failing to raise the debt ceiling could force the government to fall behind or delay some of its payments, an action that could lead to a spike in interest rates, a stock market crash, and a global recession, economists have predicted.

— philip rucker and damian paletta, chicagotribune.com, "Escalating feud, Trump blames McConnell and Ryan for upcoming 'mess' on debt ceiling," 24 Aug. 2017
Originally, the researchers were trying to find an easier method for predicting whether an organ transplant patient would regent the organ.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Almost All of the Bacteria In Your Body Is Still Unknown to Science," 23 Aug. 2017
The relationship was also present in the opposite direction, with self-centeredness in one year predicting a small increase in loneliness in the next.

— andrew gregory, The Cut, "A New Study Says Loneliness Turns People Selfish," 23 Aug. 2017
The sons predict that their parents and soon-to-be empty nesters will take their departure a bit differently.

— malaika jabali, Essence.com, "Black Excellence: These Quadruplet Brothers Are All Headed To Yale This Fall," 22 Aug. 2017
Now, Leah takes personal training clients in the mornings and evenings, and spends most of her weekdays filming food videos, writing blogs, creating recipes, and predicting which healthy food trends will follow avocado toast and acai bowls.

— elizabeth narins, Cosmopolitan, "Leah Itsines Is So Much More Than Kayla's Sister," 21 Aug. 2017
No one — not even doctors — can predict with 100% certainty what a woman's prognosis is, regardless of the stage of her cancer.

— tula karras, Good Housekeeping, "15 Things Not to Say to Someone With Breast Cancer," 21 Aug. 2017
Named after the gravitational phenomena predicted to lurk at the center of a black hole, Singularity Black combines carbon nanotubes, which absorb and trap light, with a binding agent.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Artists Can Now Buy One of the World’s Blackest Blacks," 16 Aug. 2017
While most meteorologists are skeptical of predicting weather more than 10 days in advance, both the Farmers' Almanac and its main competitor, The Old Farmer's Almanac, claim to be 80 percent accurate in their weather predictions.

— lyndsey matthews, Country Living, "Farmers' Almanac Says Winter 2018 Will Be Cold and Wet," 14 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'predict.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of predict

Latin praedictus, past participle of praedicere, from prae- pre- + dicere to say — more at diction

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1609

See Words from the same year

predict Synonyms

Synonyms

augur, call, forecast, foretell, presage, prognosticate, prophesy, read, vaticinate

Related Words

alert, caution, forewarn, warn; bode, forebode (also forbode), portend, promise; anticipate, divine, foreknow, foresee; announce, declare, herald, proclaim

Near Antonyms

describe, narrate, recite, recount, relate, report, tell

Synonym Discussion of predict

foretell, predict, forecast, prophesy, prognosticate mean to tell beforehand. foretell applies to the telling of the coming of a future event by any procedure or any source of information.

- seers foretold the calamity

predict commonly implies inference from facts or accepted laws of nature.

- astronomers predicted an eclipse

forecast adds the implication of anticipating eventualities and differs from predict in being usually concerned with probabilities rather than certainties.

- forecast snow

prophesy connotes inspired or mystic knowledge of the future especially as the fulfilling of divine threats or promises.

- prophesying a new messiah

prognosticate is used less often than the other words; it may suggest learned or skilled interpretation, but more often it is simply a colorful substitute for predict or prophesy.

- prognosticating the future

PREDICT Defined for English Language Learners

predict

verb

Definition of predict for English Language Learners

: to say that (something) will or might happen in the future

PREDICT Defined for Kids

predict

verb pre·dict \ pri-ˈdikt \

Definition of predict for Students

predicted; predicting

:to say that (something) will or might happen in the future

predict the weather

Word Root of predict

The Latin word dicere, meaning “to say” or “to speak,” and its form dictus give us the root dict. Words from the Latin dicere have something to do with saying or speaking. To dictate is to say words that are to be written down by someone else. To contradict is to say the opposite of what someone else has said. To predict is to say what will happen before it does.