Prédire

Prédire is a French verb meaning to predict or foretell, i.e., to say in advance what will happen in the future. It is used to express forecasts, prophecies, or conjectures about future events in domains such as weather, economics, politics, science, and everyday life. Prédire often carries the sense of making a claim about future outcomes that can be tested or challenged.

Etymology and background: the verb comes from Old French predire, from Latin praedicere or praedire, formed with prae- meaning before and dicere meaning to say. The sense remains closely tied to conveying what will occur rather than merely what one thinks might happen.

Conjugation and usage: prédire is a regular -re verb of the -dire group. In the present tense: je prédis, tu prédis, il prédit, nous prédisons, vous prédisez, ils prédisent. The past participle is prédit, used with the auxiliary avoir in the passé composé (par exemple, j’ai prédit). The future simple is prédirai, prédiras, prédira, prédirons, prédirez, prédiront. The verb also forms a present subjunctive: que je prédise, que tu prédises, qu’il prédise, et cetera.

Distinctions and usage notes: prédi re is often contrasted with prévoir, which can imply a more cautious or provisional outlook. Prédire can carry a strong assertion about a definite outcome, though it remains susceptible to revision or error. The expression prédire l’avenir or prédire une issue is common in both scientific and literary contexts.

See also: prévoir, pronostiquer, prophétie.