unforeseeable
Impossible to predict
Unforeseeable describes events or outcomes that cannot reasonably be anticipated or predicted in advance.
The word often appears in legal and insurance contexts, where it distinguishes between risks that should have been planned for and those that genuinely couldn't be: The contract included a clause for unforeseeable circumstances.
Unlike merely unforeseen (which wasn't predicted but could have been), unforeseeable suggests prediction was impossible.
Not anticipated beforehand
- unanticipatedNot predicted beforehand
- unlooked-forNot anticipated or foreseen
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
- shockingCausing intense surprise
startling · blindside · curveball · wildcard · twist · unheard-of · unthought-of · inconceivable
State resisting forecasts
- indeterminacyLack of fixed outcome
- imponderableBeyond estimation or measure
- unknownNot yet discovered
- unknowableImpossible to understand
chance · randomness · volatility · variability · aleatory · speculation · conjecture · enigma
Source of potential harm
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- contingencyUncertain possible event
- exposureState of being unprotected
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
catastrophe · insurance · actuarial · mitigation · precaution · indemnity · disclaimer
Forecast of coming events
- forecastPrediction of future conditions
- prophecyForetelling of future events
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- projectionSomething that extends outward
hindsight · horizon · planning · prognosis · divination · oracle · clairvoyance
unexpected
Not anticipated beforehand
- unanticipatedNot predicted beforehand
- unlooked-forNot anticipated or foreseen
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
shocking · startling · blindside · curveball · wildcard · twist · unheard-of · unthought-of · inconceivable
unpredictability
State resisting forecasts
- indeterminacyLack of fixed outcome
- imponderableBeyond estimation or measure
- unknownNot yet discovered
unknowable · chance · randomness · volatility · variability · aleatory · speculation · conjecture · enigma · ambiguity
hazard
Source of potential harm
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- contingencyUncertain possible event
- exposureState of being unprotected
vulnerability · catastrophe · insurance · actuarial · mitigation · precaution · indemnity · disclaimer
prediction
Forecast of coming events
- forecastPrediction of future conditions
- prophecyForetelling of future events
- anticipationState of awaiting something
projection · hindsight · horizon · planning · prognosis · divination · oracle · clairvoyance
unforeseeableforeseeable
Able to be anticipated
predictable · anticipated · expected · foreseen · calculable
unforeseeableinevitable
Certain to occur
certain · assured · guaranteed · inescapable · predetermined
foresee, foresight, unforeseen, foreseeable, foresees, foreseeing, foreseeability