predictive

adjective

pre·​dic·​tive pri-ˈdik-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or usable or valuable for prediction

predictive medical factors

2

: based on or generated by using methods of prediction

predictive models

predictive text

Usually predictive policing refers to feeding reams of city data into a computer and dispatching extra officers to areas that are deemed to be at high risk of future crime.

—Leon Neyfakh

predictively adverb

Like an astrological chart, it can be made to fit any case, and it works better retrospectively than predictively.

—Carol Tavris

Synonyms

• prophetic
• prophetical

Examples of predictive in a Sentence

unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 turned out to be a predictive event, for the next decade was consumed by the Great Depression

Recent Examples on the Web

By leveraging tools like people performance dashboards and predictive analytics, leaders can allocate resources with confidence, ensuring every investment supports the organization’s long-term vision. —Brent Gleeson, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

Kash Patel has a roughly 1 in 4 chance of being named President-elect Donald Trump's next nominee for FBI director, according to predictive betting platform Polymarket. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

The film won the Sundance U.S. Directing Award for Documentary, and later collected more awards and recognition at a string of festivals and awards groups including DOC NYC’s predictive Shortlist, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, and Cinema Eye Honors. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024

Detroit has about 80,000 lead service lines out of 300,000 service lines, based on the city's data and predictive mapping, Brown added. —Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined at sense 1