English Reference
adjective

prophetic

adj.
US /pɹəˈfɛtɪk/ UK /pɹɒfˈɛtɪk/ prophet·ic

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Academic

    correctly saying what will happen in the future before it actually happens.

    accurately predicting or foreshadowing future events; demonstrating prescience.

    Simple

    His warnings about the economy proved to be prophetic when the markets crashed.

    In context

    The novelist's descriptions of a surveillance-state society proved eerily prophetic in light of recent technological developments.

    Usage

    Often used with 'proved to be' or 'turned out to be'.

    prescientpredictivefarsighted
  2. 02 C1 Advanced FormalLiterary Religion

    related to a prophet or a religious message about the future.

    of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy.

    Simple

    The old books contained prophetic visions of a coming king.

    In context

    The scholar spent years analyzing the prophetic traditions of the ancient Near East to understand their social impact.

    divineoracular

We had spoken to Yassir: I thought he could win the ball off him – and look how it turned out,” said Racing’s prophetic head coach, José Alberto.

The Guardian· 1 Sept 2026

Borrowed from Middle French prophétique, from Latin prophēticus, from Ancient Greek προφητικός (prophētikós), equivalent to prophet + -ic.

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

This entry
Origin Ancient Greek προφητικός
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated