Foresee

To recognize that an event or need is likely before it occurs.

Reach for it when crediting informed foresight without claiming certainty

The engineers foresee heavier winter demand after the new homes open.

• playful

  see coming

  plain informal language stresses that the signs were visible

  not when This phrase can sound smug after an avoidable problem.

• everyday

  expect

  ordinary likelihood is all the sentence needs

  not when Expectation may rest on habit rather than insight.

• everyday

  predict

  a specific future outcome is stated from evidence

  not when A prediction can be made without understanding its practical consequences.

• warm

  envision

  an imagined future possibility guides creative planning

  not when Envisioning does not claim that the event is likely.

• professional

  anticipate

  expectation is joined by readiness or action

  not when Anticipation may come from feeling rather than a reasoned forecast.

• professional

  forecast

  data supports a dated or measurable projection

  not when Forecast is too technical for recognizing a personal need.

• overlook
• misjudge
• be surprised by

• foresee a need

  Good planners foresee a need before supplies run low.

• difficult to foresee

  The sudden rockfall was difficult to foresee.

• foresee consequences

  A careful designer must foresee consequences for nearby residents.

• wiktionary, English verb sense: see or know beforehand ↗opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.