Dictionary

prognosticate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /pɹɒɡˈnɒstɪkeɪt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *próder. Ancient Greek πρό (pró) Ancient Greek προ- (pro-) Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃tisder. Ancient Greek γνῶσις (gnôsis) ▲ Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τῐκός (-tĭkós) Ancient Greek γνωστῐκός (gnōstĭkós) ▲ Ancient Greek προ- (pro-) ▲ Ancient Greek γνῶσῐς (gnôsĭs) Ancient Greek πρόγνωσῐς (prógnōsĭs) ▲ Ancient Greek -τῐκός (-tĭkós) Ancient Greek προγνωστῐκός (prognōstĭkós)der. Medieval Latin prognosticus Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Medieval Latin prognosticareder. English prognosticate From Medieval Latin prognosticare; see prognostic for more.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To predict or forecast, especially through the application of skill.
   • Examining the tea-leaves, she prognosticated dark days ahead.
   • All old people and many sick people were drawn, were it only for a foot or two, into the open air, and prognosticated pleasant things about the course of the world. 1915 – Virginia Woolf, Voyage Out ch. 2
   • But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive, And constant stars in them I read such art As 'Truth and beauty shall together thrive, If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert'; Or else of thee this I prognosticate: 'Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.' 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 14”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
   • The most striking piece of interpretation of this sort occurred in the first century of the Christian era, in consequence of Paul's mission to the Gentiles: Paul and the Church Fathers reinterpreted the entire Jewish tradition as a succession of figures prognosticating the appearance of Christ, and assigned the Roman Empire its proper place in the divine plan of salvation. 1946, Erich Auerbach, “Odysseus' Scar”, in Partisan Review, transl., Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, page 16:
   • ...to-morrow I intend lengthening the night till afternoon. I prognosticate for myself an obstinate cold, at least. 1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:
2. (transitive) To presage, betoken.
   • The bluebells may prognosticate an early spring this year.

Forms

Deriveds

misprognosticate · prognosticator · prognosticatory

Relateds

prognostic · prognostication · prognostize · prognosis

Synonyms

foreshadow · foretoken · portend · foretell · prophesy

Translations (34)

nb forutsi (predict, foretell) · cmn 預知 /预知 (predict, foretell) · ar أَنْذَرَ (predict, foretell) · bg предсказвам (predict, foretell) · la ōminor (predict, foretell) · cmn 預兆 /预兆 (predict, foretell) · sv spå (predict, foretell) · sv förebåda (betoken) · bg предвещавам (betoken) · cmn 預言 /预言 (predict, foretell) · da spå (predict, foretell) · ru предска́зывать (predict, foretell) · fr pronostiquer (predict, foretell) · bg вещая (betoken) · ru предвеща́ть (betoken) · sv förutsäga (predict, foretell) · bg прогнозирам (predict, foretell) · fr présager (betoken) · fi ennustaa (predict, foretell) · nn spå (predict, foretell) · io prognozar (predict, foretell) · is spá (predict, foretell) · da forudsige (predict, foretell) · hu prognosztizál (predict, foretell) · fo spáa (predict, foretell) · ru прогнозировать (predict, foretell) · la prognosticare (predict, foretell) · cmn 預測 /预测 (predict, foretell) · mi waitohu (predict, foretell) · nb spå (predict, foretell) · fi enteillä (betoken) · pt prognosticar (predict, foretell) · es pronosticar (predict, foretell) · de prognostizieren (predict, foretell)