foresight

noun

fore·​sight ˈfȯr-ˌsīt 

1

: an act or the power of foreseeing : prescience

Through foresight she could tell what the outcome would be.

2

: provident care : prudence

had the foresight to invest his money wisely

3

: an act of looking forward

also : a view forward

foresighted

ˈfȯr-ˌsī-təd 

adjective

foresightedly adverb

foresightedness noun

foresightful

ˈfȯr-ˌsīt-fəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• foreknowledge
• prescience

Examples of foresight in a Sentence

They had the foresight to invest the money wisely.

His career choice shows a lack of foresight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Store Knowledge, Keeping Accessibility In Mind Elevating leadership impact requires foresight in storing knowledge for future use. —Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Wexner also had the foresight to see beyond the crisis. —Lindsey Leake, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024

Some tasks are highly complex but need to be done quickly, while others take much longer to develop and execute, requiring strategic foresight and long-term planning. —Jessica Billingsley, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024

Humans can think about what to grow and how to farm, but ants carry out similar tasks without our foresight or planning abilities. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

foresight

noun

fore·​sight ˈfō(ə)r-ˌsīt 

ˈfȯ(ə)r-

1

: the act or power of foreseeing

2

: care or preparation for the future

had the foresight to invest his money wisely

foresighted

-ˌsīt-əd 

adjective

foresightedly adverb

foresightedness noun