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View synonyms for

foresee

[ fawr-see ]

verb (used with object)

foresaw, foreseen, foreseeing.
  1. to have prescience of; to know in advance; foreknow.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. to see beforehand.


verb (used without object)

foresaw, foreseen, foreseeing.
  1. to exercise foresight.

foresee

/ ɔːˈː /

verb

  1. tr; may take a clause as object to see or know beforehand

    he did not foresee that

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ڴǰˈ𲹲, adjective
  • ڴǰˈ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ڴǰ··· adjective
  • ڴǰ·· noun
  • ܲ·ڴǰ··Բ adjective
  • ܲ·ڴǰ· adjective
  • ɱ-ڴǰ· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of foresee1

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English ڴǰŧDz. See fore-, see 1
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Synonym Study

See predict.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I used to think you could figure out compatibility from a distance and foresee how things would turn out, just as I look at a criminal history to judge whether someone will reoffend.

From

But I didn't foresee whole government agencies being illegally dismantled.

From

One source involved in the negotiations, who two weeks ago was optimistic about the future relationship between Jingye and the UK government, said they could no longer foresee long-term Chinese involvement in British steelmaking.

From

This year marks another anniversary: 50 years ago, the philosopher Robert Nozick foresaw the themes of The Matrix – and much more about contemporary life – by proposing an intriguing thought experiment.

From

Even as the Palisades fire was still raging, city officials in Santa Monica foresaw that it might become a haven for displaced schools.

From

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More About Foresee

does foresee mean?

To foresee is to know in advance, as in With all the rain we’ve been having, it was easy to foresee that the river would overflow its banks.

Foresee is different from predict or forecast because to foresee is to know, while to predict or forecast is to guess or calculate rather than to know. Sometimes, though, foresee is used as a synonym for predict to exaggerate one’s confidence in a prediction.

Example: I can foresee where this is going and I want no part of it.

Where does foresee come from?

The first records of the term foresee come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English ڴǰŧDz.

Foresight is commonly used as a synonym for care or understanding to imply that someone knows the best course of action to follow in a certain situation. Someone that foresees something has this care for, or understanding of, what is to come and can plan accordingly for it.

Did you know … ?

are some other forms related to foresee?

are some synonyms for foresee?

are some words that share a root or word element with foresee?

are some words that often get used in discussing foresee?

How is foresee used in real life?

People often claim to have foreseen something after it happens.

Try using foresee!

Is foresee used correctly in the following sentence?

Amita didn’t know she would be promoted because she foresaw it.

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