How to Memorize

prescient - farsighted

Analysis

Something or somebody ‘prescient’ is capable of anticipating or imagining the significance of events before they occur. It comes from the Latin word meaning ‘foreknowledge’, but it does not imply having some kind of miraculous ability to see the future exactly as it will happen. Instead, it expresses a skill for understanding trends and seeing the bigger picture.

Example(s)

1. My friend told me weeks ago that I should sell my shares as the markets were likely to suffer a severe contraction in the near future. I wish I had listened to his prescient warning.

2. The scientist is noted for her prescience on climate change. She was writing papers exploring its implications decades before it became mainstream.

3. You have to admire the prescience of the people who designed that building. It’s as striking and prominent now as it was when it was first built 50 years ago.