prophetic

adjective

pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfe-tik 

variants or less commonly prophetical

prə-ˈfe-ti-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy

2

: foretelling events : predictive

prophetically

prə-ˈfe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of prophetic

• predictive

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

Isabel Allende was both topical and prophetic with her view of a world dominated by patriarchy and patriarchal thinking, a world that now feels familiar, according to the showrunners behind Prime Video’s adaptation of her most popular novel. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026

So the reluctance to take a prophetic stance in the realm of politics and culture is less a principled unwillingness than a selective one. —Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026

Tony Romo got a little prophetic while trolling Swifties in 2023. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026

People see ghosts, have visions, and suffer prophetic dreams. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for prophetic

• acetic
• aesthetic
• ascetic
• athletic
• cosmetic
• diegetic
• eidetic
• emetic
• esthetic
• frenetic
• genetic
• helvetic

Kids Definition

prophetic

adjective

pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfet-ik 

variants or prophetical

-ˈfet-i-kəl 

: of or relating to a prophet or prophecy

prophetically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb