Standard Lemma guide

prescience

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɛsɪ.əns/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈpɹɛʃəns/
  • US: /ˈpɹɛsi.əns/
  • US: /ˈpɹɛʃiəns/
  • US, sometimes: /ˈpɹi-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛsɪəns
  • CMU ARPABET: P R IY1 SH IY0 AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Knowledge of events before they take place.

Such knowledge that is supernatural or paranormal in nature, including the prediction of things that nobody could have known by the ordinary senses.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: precognition, foresight, foreknowledge, clairvoyance, premonition, divination, prophecy, psychicness

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Knowledge of events before they take place.

Such knowledge that comes from wise and thorough forethought (for example, careful planning).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: sometimes, uncountable, usually

Examples

  • Near-synonym: forethought

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: foresight, forethought

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the power to foresee the future

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prevision

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: capacity, mental ability

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English prescience, from Old French prescience, from Latin praescientia.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: предвиждане (predviždane) — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Bulgarian: далновидност (dalnovidnost) — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Chinese Cantonese: 先見之明 /先见之明 (zin1 gin3 zi1 ming4) — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Czech: jasnozřivost — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Danish: klarsyn — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Finnish: etukäteistieto — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • French: prescience — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Galician: presciencia — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Italian: preveggenza — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Māori: matakite — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Norwegian: klarsyn — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Norwegian: framsyn — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Portuguese: presciência — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Russian: предви́дение (predvídenije) — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Spanish: presciencia — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge
  • Welsh: rhagwybodaeth — Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight; foreknowledge