transitive verb

: to see (something, such as a development) beforehand
He could not have foreseen the consequences of his actions.
She foresaw the company's potential and invested early on.
Choose the Right Synonym for foresee

foresee, foreknow, divine, anticipate mean to know beforehand.

foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

Examples of foresee in a Sentence

We couldn't have foreseen the consequences of our actions. He foresees a day when all war will cease. She foresaw the company's potential and invested early on.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Without that help, however, Lee could foresee a much longer timeline to undo the harm from all those skincare trends. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 13 Feb. 2025 More also foresee stock market improvements in 2025 compared to 2023. Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025 The festival may not have foreseen that Torres might be rubbing shoulders with rival Oscar nominee Gascón in the wake of her recent scandal. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Feb. 2025 DaSilva does not foresee any more rainfall in Southern California until possibly the end of the first week of February, which raises concerns that new fires could ignite, perhaps through human behavior like tossing out a lit cigarette or failing to completely put out a campfire. Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for foresee 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foresee was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near foresee

Cite this Entry

“Foresee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foresee. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

foresee

verb
: to see or realize beforehand : expect
foreseeable
-ˈsē-ə-bəl
adjective
foreseer
-ˈsē-ər
noun

Legal Definition

foresee

transitive verb
fore·​see
foresaw; foreseen; foreseeing
: to be aware of the reasonable possibility of (as an occurrence or development) beforehand

More from Merriam-Webster on foresee

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