prescient

/ˈprɛsiənt/

To be prescient is to have foresight or foreknowledge. We can use this word to describe people themselves, or what they say or do at a given moment.

You probably know that the Latin prefix pre- means "before," so you might be able to figure out that the word prescient, from the verb praescire, means to "know beforehand." People like economists, sports commentators, and political analysts often get tagged with this word, because it's part of their job to sift through the data and make predictions — and sometimes they get it right. And when they're not just lucky, we might say they're prescient.

Definitions of prescient

1. adjective

   perceiving the significance of events before they occur
   “"extraordinarily prescient memoranda on the probable course of postwar relations"-R.H.Rovere”

   synonyms:

   discerning

   having or revealing keen insight and good judgment