# predictable

/pɹiˈdɪktəbəɫ/ (US) · /pɹɪdˈɪktəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/predictable
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. able to be expected

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

- The weather here is very predictable; it rains almost every afternoon in the summer.
- The financial markets reacted in a predictable manner to the central bank's announcement, as the rate hike had been anticipated for weeks.

### 2. unoriginal or boring

adjective · CEFR B2

boring because you always know what will happen next.

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

- The movie was so predictable that I knew the ending after the first ten minutes.
- Critics dismissed the novel as predictable, noting that the plot relied heavily on tired tropes and two-dimensional characters.

### 3. a predictable thing

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal

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

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

- He is such a predictable; he always orders the same coffee at exactly 8:00 AM.
- In a world of political volatility, the senator remained a predictable, consistently voting along party lines regardless of public pressure.

## Examples

- The ending of the movie is very predictable.
- The stock market is rarely predictable, but experts noticed a clear pattern in the recent price drops.
- While the plot follows a predictable trajectory, the director's use of lighting and sound design elevates the film above standard genre fare.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.