Previsió

Previsió is a Catalan noun that denotes the act of foreseeing or a forecast of future events. It can refer to the estimation of future developments based on data and analysis, and to planning activities that anticipate needs or outcomes. In everyday language it is used to describe weather forecasts (previsió meteorològica), economic projections (previsió econòmica), or demographic forecasts.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin praevīsio, formed from prae- “before” and vidēre “to see,” entering Catalan as previsió with the typical accent on the final syllable.

Uses: In meteorology, a previsió provides expected weather conditions for a given time period. In economics and public policy, it denotes projections of variables such as growth, inflation, or public expenditure, often produced by statistical models and scenario analysis. In business planning, forecasts inform budgeting, resource allocation, and risk management. In statistics, forecasting uses historical data to estimate future values and their likely uncertainty.

Differences and related terms: In Catalan, previsió emphasizes estimation and planning based on evidence, while pronòstic is more common in medical or technical prognostics. Projecció or projeccions can denote projections. The quality of a previsió depends on data quality, model choice, and how uncertainty is communicated.

See also: Forecasting, Projections, Prognosis.