prescient
Knowing before happening
Prescient means having knowledge of events before they occur—showing foresight or anticipation of the future.
A prescient prediction proves accurate; a prescient warning anticipates danger others miss.
The word often describes insight that seems uncanny in retrospect: Her 1990 essay on digital privacy now seems remarkably prescient.
Foretelling of future events
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
- foreknowledgeAwareness of future events
- foretellingAnnouncing future events
- predictionForecast of coming events
premonition · forewarning · anticipation · augury · divination · prognostication · soothsaying · oracle
Divinely inspired messenger
- seerOne who envisions futures
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- sibylAncient female prophet
- soothsayerOne who predicts futures
augur · diviner · prognosticator · clairvoyant · mystic · sage · visionary · futurist
Mentally sharp, discerning
- shrewdPractically clever, perceptive
- perceptiveQuick to understand
- discerningHaving keen judgment
- insightfulHaving penetrating discernment
perspicacious · sagacious · wise · sharp · keen · incisive · observant · penetrating
Instinctive immediate understanding
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- hunchUnproven inner sense
- instinctiveArising without conscious thought
- sensingDetecting through perception
empathic · psychic · telepathic · sensitive · innate · subconscious · spiritual · awareness
prophecy
Foretelling of future events
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
- foreknowledgeAwareness of future events
- foretellingAnnouncing future events
prediction · premonition · forewarning · anticipation · augury · divination · prognostication · soothsaying · oracle · omen
prophet
Divinely inspired messenger
soothsayer · augur · diviner · prognosticator · clairvoyant · mystic · sage · visionary · futurist · forecaster
astute
Mentally sharp, discerning
- shrewdPractically clever, perceptive
- perceptiveQuick to understand
- discerningHaving keen judgment
insightful · perspicacious · sagacious · wise · sharp · keen · incisive · observant · penetrating · far-sighted
intuition
Instinctive immediate understanding
- gut feelingInstinctive sense about something
- hunchUnproven inner sense
- instinctiveArising without conscious thought
sensing · empathic · psychic · telepathic · sensitive · innate · subconscious · spiritual · awareness · feeling
- beforehandbeforehand, before, ahead, early, in advance
- Forward-thinkingvisionary, innovative, progressive, pioneering, futuristic
- awareaware, mindful, attentive, alert, vigilant
- oraclesoracle, sibyl, prophetess, seer, Delphi
prescientshortsighted
Unable to see ahead
myopic · blindsided · improvident · nearsighted · oblivious