prophetic

adjective

pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfe-tik How to pronounce prophetic (audio)
variants or less commonly prophetical
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy
2
: foretelling events : predictive
prophetically adverb

Examples of prophetic in a Sentence

the prophetic books of the Old Testament in retrospect, those lower-than-expected sales numbers were a prophetic indicator of the financial trouble the company would soon be in
Recent Examples on the Web This was a moment when their warnings seemed prophetic. Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Brown’s story proved prophetic in at least one way. Tom Stanton, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024 In 2008, when President Obama was elected and Democrats enjoyed massive majorities in the House and Senate, their book seemed almost prophetic. Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023 At the heart of the plot is the substance known as spice, capable of prolonging life, inducing prophetic visions, and enabling interstellar travel. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2024 In one prophetic flash-forward, Paul stands face-to-face with his sister (played by an uncredited Anya Taylor-Joy), though the events of the film take place entirely before her birth. Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 But as her maternal instincts suggest abandoning that struggle, Aicha eventually answers prophetic visions calling on her to find the truth. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 Those words would turn out to be prophetic, but not in the way Anderson intended. Alex Williams, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 That was the most prophetic show of the early 21st century. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English prophetyk, borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French prophetique, borrowed from Late Latin prophēticus, borrowed from Greek prophētikós, from prophḗtēs prophet + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prophetic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near prophetic

Cite this Entry

“Prophetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophetic. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prophetic

adjective
pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfet-ik How to pronounce prophetic (audio)
variants or prophetical
: of or relating to a prophet or prophecy
prophetically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on prophetic

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