Other forms: predicted, predicting, predicts
To predict is to say what will happen before it happens. Predict the result, correctly predicted, hard to predict.
It takes a direct object or a that clause. Forecast is the near equivalent and is preferred for weather and economics. Note prediction, the noun; predictable, which of a person or plot is faintly insulting; unpredictable, which is usually praise or a warning; and that predicting something is a claim about the future, while explaining it afterwards is a great deal easier and much less impressive.
1verbpredictTo say what will happen before it happens.
“Nobody could predict how the election would turn out.”
predict is a foretelling.
Also accepted in games: forecast
Latin praedicere is prae-, before, plus dicere, to say — to say beforehand. The same dicere gives dictate, verdict and diction, and predicting is simply saying first.
Proto-Indo-European
*deyḱ-
Latin
praedicō — to mention beforehand
English, today
predict
Built from
Early 17th century, from Latin praedicō (“to mention beforehand”) (perfect passive participle praedictus), from prae- (“before”) + dīcō (“to say”). Equivalent to Germanic forespeak, foretell, and foresay.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA