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

As algorithms replace decision-makers and predictive models supplant manual oversight, those tools are being tested. —Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

While the negative predictive value remained above 92 percent in all settings, the positive predictive value dropped to 35.7 percent among the Bangladeshi participants, reflecting variations in population characteristics. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025

The kinds of predictive data harnessed by tech giants like Netflix and Amazon to create hyper-personalized user experiences must be adopted by beauty players who want to win, too. —Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 26 June 2025

Some of the most common uses in the survey were for communications, marketing and advertising, predictive analysis and customer service. —Kate Rogers, CNBC, 24 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for predictive

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