English Explanatory Dictionary

foresight

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The ability, or the due use of one's ability, to foresee or prepare wisely for the future.
  2. The ability to foresee future events in a supernatural or paranormal way, such as psychically.
  3. The front sight on a firearm (e.g., rifle, handgun).
  4. A bearing taken forwards towards a new object.

Pronunciation

/ˈfɔɹsaɪt/ /ˈfɔːsaɪt/ /ˈfo(ː)ɹsaɪt/ /ˈfoəsaɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-foresight.wav

Word forms

foresight foresights

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”).

Synonyms

prescience forethought foreknowledge clairvoyance precognition divination prophecy psychicness

Antonyms

hindsight backsight

Related words

foresee

Derived words

foresighted foresightful foresightless foresightly foresighty

Translations

Azerbaijani: bəsirət Azerbaijani: uzaqgörənlik Belarusian: прадба́чанне Bulgarian: предвиждане Bulgarian: предвидливост Bulgarian: далнови́дност Catalan: previsió Catalan: clarividència Catalan: presciència Catalan: endevinació Chinese Mandarin: 先見之明 /先见之明 Chinese Mandarin: 先見 /先见 Czech: prozíravost Czech: předvídavost Danish: fremsynthed Dutch: voorzichtigheid Esperanto: antaŭvido Finnish: kaukokatseisuus Finnish: harkitsevuus French: clairvoyance French: prévoyance French: prescience Georgian: წინდახედულობა Georgian: შორსმჭვრეტელობა Georgian: წინასწარ განჭვრეტა Georgian: გამჭრიახობა Georgian: წინასწარგანჭვრეტა German: Voraussicht German: Hellsichtigkeit German: Weitsicht Greek: πρόνοια Ancient Greek: πρόνοια Hawaiian: wānana Irish: fadbhreathnaitheacht Irish: fadcheann Italian: lungimiranza Italian: preveggenza Italian: avvedimento Japanese: 先見 Japanese: 予見 Māori: matakite Plautdietsch: Väasecht Polish: dalekowzroczność Polish: przezorność Polish: zapobiegliwość Portuguese: presciência Romanian: previziune Russian: предви́дение Russian: предусмотри́тельность Slovak: predvídavosť Slovak: prezieravosť Spanish: previsión Spanish: profecía Spanish: adivinación Spanish: clarividencia Spanish: presciencia Spanish: desperteza Swedish: framsynthet Turkish: öngörü Ukrainian: передба́чення Ukrainian: передба́чливість Volapük: büologam
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