prophetic

adjective

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

Synonyms of prophetic

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Reverend Jones was one of the towering figures of the Black church in New York—a prophetic voice, a man of scripture and struggle. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Rather than end image worship, the internet franchised it, which makes Siren feel unexpectedly prophetic. — Raven Smith, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026 More crucially, the anniversary brings what feels like a prophetic album back into view at a moment of unnerving relevance. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026 As usual, Fontaine, who died Saturday at age 73, was prophetic in his assessment. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prophetic

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

Rhymes for prophetic

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Browse Nearby Words

prophethood
prophetic
propheticality
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Cite this Entry

“Prophetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophetic. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

prophetic

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