foresight en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈfo(ː)ɹsaɪt/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
- /ˈfoəsaɪt/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
- /ˈfɔɹsaɪt/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈfɔːsaɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English forsight, forsyght, forsichte (since 14th c.), a calque of Latin providentia. By surface analysis, fore- + sight. Compare Scots foresicht, Saterland Frisian Foarsicht, archaic Dutch voorzicht (now voorzichtigheid), German Vorsicht (all “caution, foresight”).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The ability, or the due use of one's ability, to foresee or prepare wisely for the future.
In the dead state all is apparently without motion. No agent within indicates design, intelligence, or foresight: […]
1822, John Barclay, chapter I, in An Inquiry Into the Opinions, Ancient and Modern, Concerning Life and Organization, Edinburgh; London: Bell & Bradfute; Waugh & Innes; G. & W. B. Whittaker, section I, page 2:The specifiers of the Freightliner network had the foresight to base the rail journey on carrying ISO containers which are 8ft wide and originally 8ft tall (although now increased to a height of 9ft 6ins), with a variety of lengths.
2020 May 20, Industry Insider, “An online boost for freight”, in Rail, page 68:Having the foresight to prepare an evacuation plan may have saved their lives.
The rugged forhead that with graue foreſight / Welds kingdomes cauſes, & affaires of ſtate; […]
1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 1:The "D.N.B." wrote of one Railway Member that "he made himself personally acquainted with the working of the new systems of railroads, and with more foresight than his neighbours, he welcomed railways on his estate when other landowners were ordering their gamekeepers to warn off the surveyors or to put an end to their operations by force."
1960 March 14, N. Caplan, “The Railway Member of Parliament”, in Railway Magazine, page 208:Near-synonym: forethought
- (countable, uncountable) The ability to foresee future events in a supernatural or paranormal way, such as psychically.
-
(countable, uncountable) The front sight on a firearm (e.g., rifle, handgun).
Holonym: iron sights
- (countable, uncountable) A bearing taken forwards towards a new object.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| foresights | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
backsight · hindsight · hindsight
Coordinates
forethought · prescience · psychicness · prophecy · foreknowledge · precognition · clairvoyance · divination · prescience · wisdom
Deriveds
foresighty · foresighted · foresightless · foresightful · foresightly
Relateds
Synonyms
prophecy · psychicness · foreknowledge · divination · clairvoyance · prescience · forethought · precognition · prescience
Translations (73)
pl zapobiegliwość (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ja 照星 (front sight on weapon) · es profecía (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ru му́шка (front sight on weapon) · ru предусмотри́тельность (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · bg предвидливост (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ru визи́р (front sight on weapon) · it preveggenza (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · de Weitsicht (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ka წინასწარგანჭვრეტა (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · fr prescience (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ka წინდახედულობა (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · sv framsynthet (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · sk prezieravosť (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · fi etutähtäin (front sight on weapon) · pl dalekowzroczność (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · bg предвиждане (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ka წინასწარ განჭვრეტა (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · pl przezorność (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · eo antaŭvido (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · el στόχαστρο (front sight on weapon) · de Hellsichtigkeit (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ca clarividència (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · it avvedimento (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · az uzaqgörənlik (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ru предви́дение (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · uk передба́чливість (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ka შორსმჭვრეტელობა (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · tr öngörü (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · bg мушка (front sight on weapon) · sk predvídavosť (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ga fadbhreathnaitheacht (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · es clarividencia (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · vo büologam (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ga fadcheann (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · fi kaukokatseisuus (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · cs prozíravost (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · de Voraussicht (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · pt presciência (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · cmn 準星 /准星 (front sight on weapon) · cs předvídavost (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ca endevinació (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ka გამჭრიახობა (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · es adivinación (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ca previsió (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · fi harkitsevuus (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · haw wānana (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · es previsión (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · da fremsynthed (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · fr clairvoyance (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · pl muszka (front sight on weapon) · es presciencia (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · grc πρόνοια (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · pdt Väasecht (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · fr prévoyance (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · uk передба́чення (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · it lungimiranza (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ca presciència (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · mi matakite (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · el πρόνοια (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · be прадба́чанне (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · nl voorzichtigheid (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · cmn 先見 /先见 (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ro previziune (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · az bəsirət (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ja 予見 (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · hu körültekintés (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · cmn 先見之明 /先见之明 (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · bg далнови́дност (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · az arpacıq (front sight on weapon) · hu előrelátás (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · ja 先見 (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future) · es desperteza (ability to foresee or prepare wisely for the future)