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prophetic

prophetic

33 7.4
Saying or showing what will happen in the future, often as if from a spiritual source
  • adjective
  • /prəˈfɛtɪk/
translation icon : profético
  • His prophetic vision allowed him to foresee events that would change the world.
  • prove prophetic
  • a prophetic vision
  • a prophetic voice

Ilya's birth among these ghosts of literature and war seems prophetic of the born poet he is.

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Examples

  • A century and a half ago, a young Abraham Lincoln issued a prophetic warning.

  • The Holy Spirit spoke and said this was prophetic as to what is coming to America.

    Blog text (1)
  • Little did he know how prophetic that was.

  • I think this is perhaps a prophetic sign...

  • Some of his dreams are prophetic.

  • The title, I'm afraid, was rather prophetic.

  • Nevertheless, the bishops and other church leaders claimed the right to exercise their prophetic voice for the common good.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Asada's grandmother was known for her prophetic dreams.

  • We have first, the narrator's description of the prophetic reenactment of the flood.

  • Read him for clues: how to live in intentional community, in planetary harmony; hear his prophetic warnings.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

predictive
vsprophetic
  • Specialized
25 4.9

Able to show or guess what will happen in the future

focuses more on inspired accurate foretelling than methodical forecasting
prescient
vsprophetic
  • Formal
16 8.9

Knowing about things before they happen

adds the idea of inspired supernatural certainty to mere foresight
prophetical
vsprophetic
  • Literature
1 9.1

Saying that something will happen in the future, often by a religious person

is the common modern term for accurate supernatural prediction
mantic
vsprophetic
  • Literature
9.9

Relating to predicting the future, often by signs or dreams

stresses accurate future description rather than ritual tone
sibyllic
vsprophetic
  • Literature
9.9

Like a warning that seems to predict future events

focuses on accurate prediction rather than mysterious tone
vatical
vsprophetic
  • Archaic
9.9

Like something that predicts future events

centres on accuracy of future statements rather than visions
divinatory
vsprophetic
9.9

Relating to ways people try to tell the future

is about accurately describing what will happen rather than the method
augural
vsprophetic
  • Literature
9.9

About signs people use to guess the future

means clear accurate description rather than reading signs
prefigurative
vsprophetic
  • Literature
9.9

Suggests or shows what will happen later in a vague, symbolic way

gives clear and direct future description rather than hinting
adumbrative
vsprophetic
  • Literature
9.9

Hinting in an unclear way at something that will happen

provides clear accurate future details instead of vague foreshadowing

How Prophetic

prescient
  • Formal
16 8.9
prophetic
33 7.4
oracular
  • Literature
1 9.9
predictive
  • Specialized
25 4.9

Surface Forms

prophetic positive
prophetic comparative
prophetical positive
prophetic superlative

Morphology

prophetic = prophet (transparent) = prophet + ic

The adjective is a regular derivation from 'prophet' with the productive suffix '-ic' meaning 'relating to or characteristic of a prophet', so the meaning is directly recoverable from the base.

Etymology

Prophetic comes from prophet, which is built from pro- 'before' and phēmi 'to speak'. So something prophetic is like 'speaking before' events, a remark or warning that seems to tell the future.