Predictable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pɹɪˈdɪktəbl̩/

Definitions

1. Able to be foreseen or expected based on patterns, behavior, or prior knowledge
2. Capable of being anticipated or forecasted due to consistent patterns or established behaviors and prior experiences
3. Susceptible to being forecasted or expected as it often follows recognizable patterns or customary behaviors

Etymology: "Predictable" is a straightforward formation: the verb "predict" with the suffix "-able" attached. "Predict" itself comes from Latin "praedictus," the past participle of "praedicere," meaning "to foretell" or "to declare beforehand," built from "prae" ("before") and "dicere" ("to say"). The idea at its core is simply saying something in advance. The suffix carries the sense of capability. It descends from Latin "-bilis" and "-abilis," which attached to verbs to mean "able to be" or "capable of being," and it passed into English through Old French "-able." English speakers then made it productive, attaching it to native and borrowed verbs alike, so "predictable" literally means "able to be predicted," or in the sense given here, able to be expected.

Synonyms: foreseeable, expected

Antonyms: unpredictable, surprising