Foresee

/fɔːrˈsiː/

verbmediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

To know or realize beforehand; to predict.

/fɔːrˈsiː/

verbneutralmedium
General

To be aware of beforehand; to anticipate.

She could not foresee the consequences of her actions.

💡 Simply: It's like being a fortune teller! You use what you know now to guess what's going to happen in the future. For example, if you see dark clouds gathering, you can foresee rain.

👶 For kids: To know something will happen before it does, like guessing what your friend will say.

More Examples

2

The weather forecast helps us foresee possible storms.

3

It's difficult to foresee all the changes that will occur in the next decade.

How It's Used

General

"Economists try to foresee future trends."

Business

"The company did not foresee the impact of the new regulations."

From Middle English *forseēn*, from Old English *foreseōn* ('to see beforehand'), equivalent to *fore-* + *see*. Related to German *vorsehen*.

Used since the 16th century, reflecting the human desire to understand and prepare for the future.

Memory tip

Imagine a crystal ball. You can use it to *see* the future *beforehand*.

forecseeforsee

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written