predictable
adj. · n.-
1 able to be expected (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatehappening in a way that you expect and are not surprised by.
capable of being foretold or anticipated based on prior experience or logical patterns.
ExampleThe weather here is very predictable; it rains almost every afternoon in the summer.
ExampleThe financial markets reacted in a predictable manner to the central bank's announcement, as the rate hike had been anticipated for weeks.
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2 unoriginal or boring (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediateboring because you always know what will happen next.
lacking in novelty or creative surprise; often used pejoratively to describe artistic works or personal behaviour.
ExampleThe movie was so predictable that I knew the ending after the first ten minutes.
ExampleCritics dismissed the novel as predictable, noting that the plot relied heavily on tired tropes and two-dimensional characters.
- formulaic
- unimaginative
- clichéd
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3 a predictable thing (n.) C2 Proficiency Informala 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.
ExampleHe is such a predictable; he always orders the same coffee at exactly 8:00 AM.
ExampleIn a world of political volatility, the senator remained a predictable, consistently voting along party lines regardless of public pressure.
From predict + -able.