Dictionary

foresee en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /fɚˈsi/ (General-American)
• /fɔːˈsiː/ (UK)
• /fɔɹˈsi/ (General-American)
• /fəˈsiː/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English foreseen, forseen, from Old English foresēon; equivalent to fore- + see. Similar formations in Dutch voorzien, German vorsehen, Latin prōvideō, (whence provide and purvey), Ancient Greek πρόοιδα (próoida), Polish przewidzieć, Russian провидеть (providetʹ).

Meanings

1. To perceive (a situation or event) in advance.
   • "I foresee in this," he says, "the breaking up of our profession." 1838, Charles Dickens, The Lamplighter:
   • A prudent man foreſeeth the euill, and hideth himſelfe: but the ſimple paſſe on, and are puniſhed. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 22:3:
   • One might imagine that the directors foresaw the somewhat uninspiring appearance of the future Manchester stations, and decided to start as it was intended to go on. 1957 September 14, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Manchester—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 615:
   • Ariel. My Maſter through his Art foreſees the danger That you (his friend) are in, and ſends me forth (For elſe his proiect dies) to keepe them liuing. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 8:
   • "If you foresee the event and you go forward, then you are criminally negligent," she said, adding, "This was a boat that navigated on the waters of Lake George since 1979. In terms of criminal negligence, there clearly wasn't the foreseeability that there may be in civil negligence." 2007 February 6, Danny Hakim, quoting Kathleen B. Hogan, “Two Misdemeanor Charges in Lake George Capsizing”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022:
2. (obsolete) To provide.
   • Great shoals of people, which go on to populate, without foreseeing means of life. 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Vicissitude of Things”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

foreseeability · foreseer · foreseeable

Relateds

forsee · unforeseen

Synonyms

think · predict · anticipate

Translations (63)

ru предусмотре́ть (to anticipate) · it prevedere (to anticipate) · ru предви́деть (to anticipate) · la dīvīnō (to anticipate) · ja 予測する (to anticipate) · hy կանխատեսել (to anticipate) · ru предвосхища́ть (to anticipate) · id memperkirakan (to anticipate) · rup prived (to anticipate) · de voraussehen (to anticipate) · pl przewidywać (to anticipate) · fi nähdä ennalta (to anticipate) · fi ennustaa (to anticipate) · es prever (to anticipate) · eo antaŭvidi (to anticipate) · da forudse (to anticipate) · ru предусма́тривать (to anticipate) · ja 予見する (to anticipate) · cmn 預知 /预知 (to anticipate) · la prospicio (to anticipate) · fi aavistaa (to anticipate) · ja 見越す (to anticipate) · sl predvideti (to anticipate) · ro anticipa (to anticipate) · bg предугаждам (to anticipate) · ru предвосхи́тить (to anticipate) · gl prever (to anticipate) · pt prever (to anticipate) · mi matakite (to anticipate) · sk Predvídať (to anticipate) · sv förutse (to anticipate) · cs předvídat (to anticipate) · ar تَوَقَّعَ (to anticipate) · hu előre lát (to anticipate) · mi matapae (to anticipate) · la praevideō (to anticipate) · ru предсказа́ть (to anticipate) · nl voorzien (to anticipate) · sl slutiti (to anticipate) · la prōvideō (to anticipate) · ca pronosticar (to anticipate) · no forutse (to anticipate) · de vorhersehen (to anticipate) · cmn 預見 /预见 (to anticipate) · mk предви́дува (to anticipate) · ro prevedea (to anticipate) · sl predvidevati (to anticipate) · af voorsien (to anticipate) · rup pruved (to anticipate) · he צִפָּה (to anticipate) · ja 予知する (to anticipate) · es antever (to anticipate) · qu t'ituy (to anticipate) · tr öngörmek (to anticipate) · fr anticiper (to anticipate) · ru предска́зывать (to anticipate) · fr prévoir (to anticipate) · ca preveure (to anticipate) · pt prognosticar (to anticipate) · vo büologön (to anticipate) · lv paredzēt (to anticipate) · is sjá fyrir (to anticipate) · bg предвиждам (to anticipate)