prophetic

adjective

pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfe-tik 

variants or less commonly prophetical

prə-ˈfe-ti-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy

2

: foretelling events : predictive

prophetically

prə-ˈfe-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of prophetic

• predictive

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

In 1989, sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined a term that now feels almost prophetic for any industry built on social consumption. —Peter Su, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

Although his firing wasn't mentioned, Ventimiglia did recall his disappointment in the show being canceled as well as Shepherd's prophetic reassurance. —Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026

On Thursday night, that message proved prophetic, as the dynamic duo steered the Fever to an 114-106 overtime victory over the Chicago Sky. —James Boyd, New York Times, 12 June 2026

As the rest of Rush’s Fifty Something Tour kickoff Sunday at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum demonstrated, that particular Neil Peart lyric — along with many others — was prophetic. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026

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

Rhymes for prophetic

• acetic
• aesthetic
• ascetic
• athletic
• cosmetic
• diegetic
• eidetic
• emetic
• esthetic
• frenetic
• genetic
• helvetic

Kids Definition

prophetic

adjective

pro·​phet·​ic prə-ˈfet-ik 

variants or prophetical

-ˈfet-i-kəl 

: of or relating to a prophet or prophecy

prophetically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb