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REFERENCE

predictable

adj. · n.
US //pɹiˈdɪktəbəɫ// UK //pɹɪdˈɪktəbəl// pre·dictable
  1. 1 able to be expected (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    happening in a way that you expect and are not surprised by.

    capable of being foretold or anticipated based on prior experience or logical patterns.

    Example

    The weather here is very predictable; it rains almost every afternoon in the summer.

    Example

    The financial markets reacted in a predictable manner to the central bank's announcement, as the rate hike had been anticipated for weeks.

  2. 2 unoriginal or boring (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    boring because you always know what will happen next.

    lacking in novelty or creative surprise; often used pejoratively to describe artistic works or personal behaviour.

    Example

    The movie was so predictable that I knew the ending after the first ten minutes.

    Example

    Critics dismissed the novel as predictable, noting that the plot relied heavily on tired tropes and two-dimensional characters.

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  1. 3 a predictable thing (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal

    a person or thing that always behaves in the same way.

    a person, event, or entity whose actions or outcomes are entirely expected. Used rarely and typically in informal contexts.

    Example

    He is such a predictable; he always orders the same coffee at exactly 8:00 AM.

    Example

    In a world of political volatility, the senator remained a predictable, consistently voting along party lines regardless of public pressure.

Origin

From predict + -able.

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