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.
In a sign of their lasting impact, Iranian director Mohsen Gharaei arrives in Venice this year with Falling House, a prophetic work warning of the crisis building in Iran after decades of oppressive, patriarchal rule by the Islamic Republic regime. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 The 20th century in particular abounded in such visions, some of which—The Handmaid’s Tale, or Brave New World, published in 1932 and getting spookier every day—have proved more prophetic than others. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 Difficult People began during the Obama era, a context Klausner believes matters when people call the series prophetic. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026 But Puck’s inflated branding has, over time, come to look almost prophetic. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 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 4 Sep. 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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