as in prophetic
being a sign of a later course of events
unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 turned out to be a predictive event, for the next decade was consumed by the Great Depression
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Recent Examples of predictive
The program will identify early predictors of future health by analyzing over 20 years of human data, and incorporating the most predictive biomarkers into a score that can predict 20-year health outcomes.
—
Andrew S. Brack, Time, 26 Feb. 2026
After this weekend, when the Producers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild hand out their highly predictive precursors, the final shape of the Oscar race should be (reasonably) clear — and nominees worn out by months of campaigning will be breathing a sigh of relief.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
While Hard Rock is the only legal sportsbook, predictive markets like Kalshi have allowed people to place bets on sports, as well.
—Ashley Borja, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
But the BAFTAs are often predictive, as the Oscar voters lean international (24 percent).
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predictive
Andrew S. Brack, Time, 26 Feb. 2026
After this weekend, when the Producers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild hand out their highly predictive precursors, the final shape of the Oscar race should be (reasonably) clear — and nominees worn out by months of campaigning will be breathing a sigh of relief.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
While Hard Rock is the only legal sportsbook, predictive markets like Kalshi have allowed people to place bets on sports, as well.
—Ashley Borja, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
But the BAFTAs are often predictive, as the Oscar voters lean international (24 percent).
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predictive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predictive
Adjective
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Please note that spoilers about Dunk’s and Egg’s futures do have pretty big implications, though their eventual fates do not come into play in the second or third novellas aside from some prophetic hints, and their role in Westerosi history was already well established ahead of Game of Thrones.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
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In these moments, Sloan, in a clear nod to his past romance with Lexie Grey, makes a prophetic declaration about love.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The murders themselves are obviously very sinister, but the circumstances surrounding them undermine the show’s drama and lean toward the absurd.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
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But the updraft that struck Flight SQ321 was of a more sinister sort.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predictive. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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