prophetic

adjective

pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfe-tik How to pronounce prophetic (audio)
variants or less commonly prophetical
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy
2
: foretelling events : predictive
prophetically adverb

Examples of prophetic in a Sentence

the prophetic books of the Old Testament in retrospect, those lower-than-expected sales numbers were a prophetic indicator of the financial trouble the company would soon be in
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To the contrary, these statements are qualitative and nearly prophetic. Ken Polk, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 His words now feel prophetic, with the world speculating on a deeply intimate exchange we may never be let into. Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 27 May 2025 All the while, Kony retained his prophetic posture. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 17 May 2025 The Memex was the prophetic prototype of hypertext, personal knowledge augmentation, and linked information systems. Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for prophetic

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prophetyk, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French prophetique, borrowed from Late Latin prophēticus, borrowed from Greek prophētikós, from prophḗtēs prophet + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prophetic was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Prophetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophetic. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

prophetic

adjective
pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfet-ik How to pronounce prophetic (audio)
variants or prophetical
: of or relating to a prophet or prophecy
prophetically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on prophetic

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