English Reference
Adjective

foreseeable

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /fɔɹˈsiəbəɫ/ UK /fɔːsˈiːəbəl/ fore·see·able

adj.describing something that you can predict or expect to happen because of what you know now.

adj.capable of being anticipated or predicted based on current evidence. Often used in the fixed phrase 'the foreseeable future' to describe a period that is not too far away.


SIMPLE

The company faces no foreseeable problems this year.

CONTEXTUAL

Due to the ongoing construction, the road will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

COMPLEX

While the immediate results were positive, the long-term impact of the policy change remains unclear beyond the foreseeable horizon of the next fiscal quarter.

Usage

Commonly used in the set phrase 'in the foreseeable future'. Often appears after 'no' or 'any' to indicate the limits of prediction.

Usage foreseeable future

However, the Carney government already plans to outspend revenues by tens of billions each year for the foreseeable future, so federal tax cuts seem unlikely.

Toronto Sun· 18 Aug 2026

For the foreseeable future, in-space repairs are likely off the table.

Ars Technica· 15 Jul 2026

From foresee + -able.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated