predict

English

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predict

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• prædict (archaic)

Etymology

Early 17th century, from Latin praedīcō (“to mention beforehand”) (perfect passive participle praedictus), from prae- (“before”) + dīcō (“to say”). Equivalent to Germanic forespeak, foretell, and foresay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈdɪkt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪkt

Verb

predict (third-person singular simple present predicts, present participle predicting, simple past and past participle predicted)

1. (transitive) To make a prediction: to forecast, foretell, or estimate a future event on the basis of knowledge and reasoning; to prophesy a future event on the basis of mystical knowledge or power.
   • 1590, E. Daunce, A Briefe Discourse on the Spanish State, section 40:

     After he had renounced his fathers bishoprick of Valentia in Spaine... and to attaine by degrees the Maiesty of Cesar, was created Duke of that place, gaue for his poesie, Aut Cesar, aut nihil. which being not fauoured from the heauens, had presently the euent the same predicted.

   • 2000 July 8, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], “Mad-Eye Moody”, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter; 4), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 171:

     Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry’s death, which he found extremely annoying.

   • 2012, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette of Particles”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 146:

     The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.

2. (transitive, of theories, laws, etc.) To imply.
   • 1886, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 177. 338:

     It is interesting to see how clearly theory predicts the difference between the ascending and descending curves of a dynamo.

   • 1996 June 3, Geoffrey Cowley, “The biology of beauty”, in Newsweek:

     For both men and women, greater symmetry predicted a larger number of past sex partners.

3. (intransitive) To make predictions.
   • 1652, J. Gaule, Πυς-μαντια the mag-astro-mancer, 196

     The devil can both predict and make predictors.

4. (transitive, military, rare) To direct a ranged weapon against a target by means of a predictor.
   • 1943, L. Cheshire, Bomber Pilot, iii. 57:

     They're predicting us now; looks like a barrage.

Synonyms

• foretell, forespell, forespeak, halsen

Antonyms

• retrodict

Related terms

Translations

Noun

predict (plural predicts)

1. (obsolete) A prediction.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 14”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. , London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:

     Or say with Princes if it shall go well, / By oft predict that I in heaven find.

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “predict”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Middle French

Verb

predict

1. past participle of predire