predictive

adjective

pre·​dic·​tive pri-ˈdik-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or usable or valuable for prediction

predictive medical factors

2

: based on or generated by using methods of prediction

predictive models

predictive text

Usually predictive policing refers to feeding reams of city data into a computer and dispatching extra officers to areas that are deemed to be at high risk of future crime.

—Leon Neyfakh

predictively adverb

Like an astrological chart, it can be made to fit any case, and it works better retrospectively than predictively.

—Carol Tavris

Synonyms of predictive

• prophetic
• sinister

Examples of predictive in a Sentence

unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 turned out to be a predictive event, for the next decade was consumed by the Great Depression

Recent Examples on the Web

Scaling predictive maintenance The acquisition gives DiagFit access to I-care’s international commercial operation. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

The use of predictive and preventive systems can help CFOs make faster treasury decisions, using AI to interpret cash flow, identify opportunities and support more effective capital deployment. — Dr. Saheer Nelliparamban, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

One project takes samples from patients in IVF clinics, with the goal of identifying if novel markers of infection and inflammation are predictive of implantation success or failure. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026

The billionaire chairman and CEO of WorldQuant has been a pioneer in applying AI and other technologies to vast collections of data, looking to build predictive models from historical information. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictive

• addictive
• constrictive
• restrictive
• vindictive
• magnetostrictive