prescience

noun

ˈpre-sh(ē-)ən(t)s How to pronounce prescience (audio)
Definition of presciencenext
1
as in foresight
the special ability to see or know about events before they actually occur most believers would probably agree that complete prescience is one of God's attributes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in providence
concern or preparation for the future parents who had the prescience to make everything in their house childproof before the arrival of their first baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of prescience In the opening monologue of the night — nearly verbatim for most nights on the tour — Springsteen ad-libbed some additional context, acknowledging the prescience of the evening. — Brandon Shaw, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2026 Ten years later, the prescience of these words may be observed not just in a surprising foot race upset but in an entirely different cultural moment. — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 That a machine might use my writing not only to learn about my subject matter, but also to analyze and ultimately mimic my authorial voice, points to a future that George Orwell envisioned with eerie prescience. — Laura Beers, The Conversation, 15 Apr. 2026 Nearly two years later, Cossington’s words ring with alarming prescience. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prescience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prescience
  1. foresight
  2. providence
  3. foreknowledge
  4. vision
  5. divination
  6. forethought
Noun
  • In the 40 years since, every facet of Spacemen 3’s story has been turned over and generously embellished, resulting in an excess of grandeur and foresight projected onto the duo at the heart of it.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of foresight
Noun
  • Data from the European Forest Fire Information System shows that the Leon providence had some of Spain’s worst wildfires on record in 2025, per France 24.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Have faith in His providence, even if your heart feels too broken to accept it right now.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of providence
Noun
  • Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • However, there are common mistakes that can easily be avoided with a little foreknowledge.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 July 2026
Definition of foreknowledge
Noun
  • Usher syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes vision loss, hearing loss and balance issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The condition can cause memory, vision, hearing and balance issues.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of vision
Noun
  • Oracles, prophets and practices of divination offered guidance from inscrutable or enigmatic sources when ordinary human judgment reached its limits.
    — Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Kylie’s divinations lead her to a small English town called Thornfield.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of divination
Noun
  • Precisely that forethought is what personal risk management is all about.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • And the park can only be accessed by boat or float plane, so a visit to Katmai National Park and Preserve requires a decent amount of forethought.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026
Definition of forethought

Browse Nearby Words

preschools
prescience
prescient
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Prescience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prescience. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All