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

• 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

Bong has adapted Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey 7 and upped the ante by ten, making disingenuous reference to biblical seriousness by setting the prophetic story on Planet Niflheim (referencing the Nephilim in the Old Testament), yet there’s a basic, goofy lack of seriousness. —Armond White, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025

And then, in a somewhat prophetic move, the Banker sent our competitors out for an excursion that immediately tested Dickson’s allegiances and, in the process, completely screwed his game. —Laura Bradley, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025

The show swiftly became a cultural touchstone, as its dystopian and misogynistic society began to feel eerily prophetic. —Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2025

Mike Judge, with his hilarious — and depressingly prophetic — 2006 movie about a librarian sent forward 500 years. —Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025

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