prophesy

verb proph·e·sy \ ˈprä-fə-ˌsī \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of prophesy

prophesied; prophesying

transitive verb

1 : to utter by or as if by divine inspiration

2 : to predict with assurance or on the basis of mystic knowledge

3 : prefigure

intransitive verb

1 : to speak as if divinely inspired

2 : to give instruction in religious matters : preach

3 : to make a prediction

—

prophesier

play \ˈprä-fə-ˌsī(-ə)r\ noun

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Examples of prophesy in a Sentence

The book claims that modern events were prophesied in ancient times.
holy men were prophesying the coming of a new messiah

Recent Examples of prophesy from the Web

If only Ali had prophesied a more extended streak: The Chiefs then lost three of their last four, sealing Stram’s downfall.

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "Is Arrowhead jinxed? Chiefs’ struggles in NFL playoffs lead some to wonder," 13 Jan. 2018
Alexander Bedward, whose prophesied ascent into the heavens throws not only his flock, but all of Jamaica — including its pompous colonial governors — into upheaval long before Kaia’s birth.

— v.v. ganeshananthan, New York Times, "Stories of Familial Unrest and Displacement," 8 Sep. 2017
Maggy the Frog also prophesied that Cersei would have three children, who would all die before her.

— chanel vargas, Marie Claire, "The Actress Who Plays Brienne on 'Game of Thrones' Says Tormund Is Just as Obsessed with Her Off-Screen," 7 Sep. 2017
Town-gown relations there are tense — the school donated half a million to save the jobs of four police officers, but students have also been banned from prophesying around one of the town’s largest tourist attractions.

— michelle weber, Longreads, "The Prophet Will See You Now," 18 Oct. 2017
He (or she) is prophesied to follow in Azor's footsteps and save the Seven Kingdoms with the help of Lightbringer.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Who Is Azor Ahai on 'Game of Thrones'?," 15 Aug. 2017
In the late 19th-century legend of Crazy Horse, the Oglala Sioux leader prophesied an economic, spiritual, and social renaissance among Native Americans.

— emily jan, The Atlantic, "A Reservation, Restored," 2 Aug. 2017
The libretto, an amalgam of biblical texts, moves from a dark depiction of apocalypse, through sections of penitence and prophesy, to an evocation of spiritual solace.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Brilliant fiddle virtuoso, choral rarity, lend cachet to Ravinia, Grant Park concerts," 30 July 2017
These two social groups—and, most likely, different social strata—are crashing into each other, much like Dave Matthews prophesied they would long ago.

— richard lawson, Vanities, "Did a Car Accident Reveal a Darker Side of HGTV’s Biggest Hit?," 10 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of prophesy

Middle English prophesien, from Anglo-French *prophecier, from Old French, from prophecie

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

prophesy Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of prophesy

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.