prescient

adjective

Definition of prescientnext
as in cautious
having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future prescient environmentalists and politicians who long ago made sure that these beautiful areas would forever be spared from development

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of prescient Biologists are now finally becoming able to map experimental data to a real mathematical landscape for differentiation and show just how prescient Waddington was. — Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 With headlines about the threat of AI on humanity, Artificial is looking like the more prescient film over the look in the rearview mirror that is Social Reckoning. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 Some Americans saw things differently, and their prescient warnings form the backbone of Hitchcock’s body politic. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Alas, Kissinger may have been uncannily prescient about technology and its impact on global power, but his prescriptions on how to avert AI disaster haven’t aged well. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026 This disturbing film was prescient in its deployment of trauma as a plot device in psychological thrillers as well as a unique entry in the anti-war canon. — David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026 This claim may not hold up in the 21st century—but its author, Helen Rowland, couldn’t know just how prescient her words would prove to be. — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 4, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026 For many, a world with machines in charge can be hard to imagine without movies and books and their sometimes prescient visions. — ABC News, 26 July 2026 My book was meant to highlight both the personal and societal issues of early literacy deprivation, while tracking the prescient issue of increasing screen time dumbing down and dehumanizing society. — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prescient
  1. cautious
  2. careful
  3. farsighted
  4. proactive
  5. visionary
  6. forward-looking
Adjective
  • The actors Nael Nacer and Artemis Pebdani double as Haddad’s great-aunt and -uncle and parents, playing across a spectrum of discomfort and cautious support.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of cautious
Adjective
  • Democratic congressional candidates will also need to be careful about balancing partisan messages to their base with more measured appeals to independent voters.
    — Julio Borquez, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But perhaps the biggest challenge of all was being extremely careful not to pass moral judgment on the story or any of the characters being portrayed.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of careful
Adjective
  • Some farsighted experts have warned that AI could devastate the job market and widen the divisions that mark today’s politics and society.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Private markets chronically undersave, leaving future generations with less capital than a farsighted society would choose to bequeath.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of farsighted
Adjective
  • Equipping your agent with this context can set it apart from generic FAQ-reciting chatbots and unlock extraordinary mobile experiences, including helpful, proactive communications.
    — Amanda McGuckin Hager, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Google Pixel Watch 5 smartwatch sits at the top with proactive Gemini capabilities, all current Wear OS features, full Fitbit integration, and robust third-party app support.
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of proactive
Adjective
  • As her paintings are visionary statements providing mysterious insights into the inner life of an artist, so, too, is Lee Krasner a visionary and a revolutionary personality as a woman.
    — Barbara Rose, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Faith has achieved all of this in a town where the most boundary-pushing, visionary works and artists aren’t always the ones most celebrated on Music Row.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of visionary
Adjective
  • Everyone is focusing more on engagement, return on investment and a forward-looking perspective, rather than simply buying something off the shelf to meet demand for the following weekend.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • These rankings are forward-looking, and will change as the season progresses.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of forward-looking

Browse Nearby Words

prescience
prescient
prescribe
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prescient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prescient. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All