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

• prophetic
• sinister
• prophetical

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

So creating models that are predictive of real-world systems, to me, was just an incredibly fascinating endeavor. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 9 July 2025

Think of it as mission control for retail inventory—intelligent, predictive and fully actionable. —Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 7 July 2025

Arcadia turns health-care data into predictive insights that payers and providers can use to help improve care for patients, reduce costs and increase revenue. —Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 1 July 2025

Cleveland Clinic has established the Center for Diagnostics and Artificial Intelligence to drive predictive analytics and operational improvements across its system. —William Jones, USA Today, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictive

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