previsible

Previsible is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese (and related Romance languages) to describe something that can be foreseen or anticipated. In Spanish, a previsible event is one whose outcome can be predicted from available information, patterns, or causal laws. The corresponding noun is previsibilidad, and the opposite form is imprevisible. In Portuguese, the equivalent adjective is previsível, with the noun previsibilidade and the opposite imprevisível. In both languages, the term denotes a degree of foreseeability rather than certainty.

The term derives from Latin praevisibilis, from prae- "before" and visibilis "visible."

Usage: In law and risk analysis, previsible concepts are used to assess foreseeability of damage or obligation. The foreseeability criterion is central to determining negligence, liability, and duty of care. In science and engineering, previsible outcomes are those that can be predicted by models and data. In philosophy, discussions of determinism and agency distinguish between what is previsible given laws and conditions and events that seem surprising to observers.

Examples: It was previsible that the stock would fall after poor earnings were released. The accident was deemed previsible given icy conditions and a lack of warning signs.

See also: foreseeability, predictability, determinism.