Word
prescient
Phoneticspre·scient
US/ˈpɹɛsiənt/
UK/pɹˈiːsiənt/
Definition
adj. knowing what will happen in the future before it happens. You use it when someone guesses right about something early.
adj. having or showing foresight; accurately anticipating future events or developments. Often describes predictions or observations recognized as accurate only after the fact.
Examples
“Her prescient advice saves us a lot of trouble.”
“His prescient warning about the housing bubble saved several clients from heavy losses in 2008.”
“The novel's prescient depiction of surveillance culture, written decades before smartphones, now reads less like speculation than quiet documentation.”
Examples
simple
“Her prescient advice saves us a lot of trouble.”
contextual
“His prescient warning about the housing bubble saved several clients from heavy losses in 2008.”
complex
“The novel's prescient depiction of surveillance culture, written decades before smartphones, now reads less like speculation than quiet documentation.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “prescient” in context.
Verb
01. consider prescient
“Critics now consider his early forecast prescient.”
verb + adj
02. hail as prescient
“The report was hailed as prescient after events proved it right.”
verb + prep + adj
03. prove prescient
“Her warnings about climate migration have proved prescient.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. eerily prescient
“His novel about a global lockdown feels eerily prescient today.”
adv + adj
Noun
05. prescient observation
“His prescient observation about technology is still quoted today.”
adj + noun
06. prescient prediction
“That was a prescient prediction about remote work.”
adj + noun
07. prescient warning
“The scientist issued a prescient warning about antibiotic resistance.”
adj + noun
08. a prescient observation about
“He made a prescient observation about the rise of streaming.”
09. eerily prescient warning
“The film contains an eerily prescient warning about surveillance.”
10. hailed as truly prescient
“Her memoir was hailed as truly prescient after the election.”
11. prescient about the future
“Good science fiction is often prescient about the future.”
12. prove remarkably prescient
“His early analysis of the market proved remarkably prescient.”
Usage
Often collocates with nouns such as 'warning', 'prediction', and 'observation'.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin praesciēns (“foreknowing; foretelling, predicting”), present participle of) Latin praesciō (“to foreknow”), from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before; in front’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- (“before; in front”)) + sciō (“to know, understand; to have knowledge of”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European skey- (“to dissect; to split”)). The word is cognate with Middle French prescient (modern French prescient (“prescient”)), Italian presciente (“prescient”). By surface analysis, pre- (“earlier in time, beforehand”) + scient (“knowing, aware”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/prescient