as in cautious
having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future
prescient environmentalists and politicians who long ago made sure that these beautiful areas would forever be spared from development
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Recent Examples of prescient
Lawrence’s bet turned out to be prescient.
—
Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
That story is a prescient example of how formative memories shape one’s character and worldview.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Your movie, now almost 20 years old, shows how prescient Valentino was in bringing celebrities into the fashion world.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026
The Republican candidate was no mystery, a sleazy tabloid character since the 1970s, and the warnings about what his presidency would look like — including from GOP leadership that later bent the knee to the MAGA movement — have proved remarkably prescient.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026
Coach Kyle Shanahan made a prescient statement to his team during the week regarding Kendricks stepping in as the starter based on years of experience playing against him with Minnesota and Dallas.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Betsy’s emphasis on coziness feels almost prescient — as if knowing how imperative an enveloping, intimate atmosphere would be needed — given that the place opened only a month before the Eaton fire.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Waterworld is, 30 years after its debut, depressingly prescient.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Semafor’s perpetually prescient David Weigel noted in October the rise of a bipartisan cause in resistance to data centers.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
That story is a prescient example of how formative memories shape one’s character and worldview.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Your movie, now almost 20 years old, shows how prescient Valentino was in bringing celebrities into the fashion world.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026
The Republican candidate was no mystery, a sleazy tabloid character since the 1970s, and the warnings about what his presidency would look like — including from GOP leadership that later bent the knee to the MAGA movement — have proved remarkably prescient.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026
Coach Kyle Shanahan made a prescient statement to his team during the week regarding Kendricks stepping in as the starter based on years of experience playing against him with Minnesota and Dallas.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
Betsy’s emphasis on coziness feels almost prescient — as if knowing how imperative an enveloping, intimate atmosphere would be needed — given that the place opened only a month before the Eaton fire.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Waterworld is, 30 years after its debut, depressingly prescient.
—Lia Beck, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Dec. 2025
Semafor’s perpetually prescient David Weigel noted in October the rise of a bipartisan cause in resistance to data centers.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prescient
Adjective
-
Be cautious about taking on new debt that assumes your current income is guaranteed.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Connecticut education leaders are expressing cautious optimism as the state Department of Education tries its hand at course development.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As with any sauce, be careful not to over-reduce.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These word assemblages could then be linked to one another or branch off in entirely new directions—a farsighted idea for the time.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Avoiding these dangers and reducing the U.S. economy’s exposure to risk requires a careful, farsighted strategy that recognizes the reality of the United States’ place in today’s world.—
Don Graves,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Aging drivers and their families must be proactive to address declining abilities.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
No single technology will end wildlife trafficking, but these digital tools can enable a shift from reactive enforcement toward proactive, coordinated action, helping authorities keep pace with adaptive criminal networks.—
Eve Bohnett,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lipa has partnered with Lorenzo Posocco for years, tapping the style visionary to help imagine her aesthetic, on and off the stage.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Solid sustainability credentials and sophisticated African minimalist interiors give this one the edge, along with visionary, hands-on owners.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
California’s veterans deserve thoughtful, forward-looking policy that reflects their reality — not theories that wither in the face of the domestic battles that veterans should never have to fight.—
Irene Watkins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But that doesn’t mean the outfits aren’t also forward-looking in terms of what’s trending for 2026.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prescient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prescient. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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