prediction

noun

pre·​dic·​tion pri-ˈdik-shən How to pronounce prediction (audio)
1
: an act of predicting
2
: something that is predicted : forecast

Examples of prediction in a Sentence

Journalists have begun making predictions about the winner of the coming election. Despite predictions that the store would fail, it has done very well. The figures and statistics are used for the prediction of future economic trends.
Recent Examples on the Web The apparel retailer soared on a 21% increase in 2023 sales of $1.45 billion—up from $1.2 billion the year before—but tepid sales growth predictions for 2024 have halted its skyrocketing stock. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Catch up on all the nominees, plus EW's predictions for who will take home the gold. Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Nonetheless, two predictions: President Biden won’t proffer a comprehensive plan to address the federal debt. Amity Shlaes, National Review, 7 Mar. 2024 College basketball fans can print their own bracket and make predictions ahead of the tournament. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 After her third-place finish in Iowa, Haley declared the nominating contest a two-person race between herself and Trump, a prediction that came true after DeSantis ended his campaign days before the Granite State primary. Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024 The best anyone can do is offer predictions, and most of those coming from the CEOs of various delivery services are self-serving. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 These regions are associated with memory, experience replay, prediction, action consideration, reward/punishment, and information integration. Nora Bradford, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prediction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prediction was in 1561

Dictionary Entries Near prediction

Cite this Entry

“Prediction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prediction. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prediction

noun
pre·​dic·​tion pri-ˈdik-shən How to pronounce prediction (audio)
1
: an act of predicting
2
: something predicted : forecast
a prediction that there would be an earthquake
predictive
-ˈdik-tiv
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on prediction

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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