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

Adams said few departments have put policies in place, but those that have often prohibit the use of predictive AI when writing reports justifying law enforcement decisions, especially use-of-force reports. —Claudia Lauer, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025

The company collected shopping data and managed to produce a predictive model for soon-to-be mothers. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Nov. 2025

Its integration of family Medicine, technology, clinical expertise and predictive analytics into everyday care positions it as a leader in PHM and a key partner in achieving Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals for preventive and sustainable healthcare. —CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025

Yao noted that solving Maxwell’s equations in the time domain helps incorporate nonlinear behavior, giving the model its one-of-a-kind predictive capability. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictive

• addictive
• constrictive
• restrictive
• vindictive
• fictive
• magnetostrictive