- (transitive; may take a clause as object) to see or know beforehand: he did not foresee that
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
fore•see /fɔrˈsi/USA pronunciation v. [~ + object], -saw, -seen, -see•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to sense or know in advance:foresaw no problems.[~ + (that) clause]foresaw that there would be great famine.
fore•see (fôr sē′, fōr-),USA pronunciation v., -saw, -seen, -see•ing.
v.t.
v.i. fore•see′a•ble, adj.
fore•see′a•bil′i•ty, n.
fore•se′er, n.
v.t.
- to have prescience of;
to know in advance;
foreknow. - to see beforehand.
v.i.
- to exercise foresight.
- bef. 900; Middle English; Old English foresēon. See fore-, see1
fore•see′a•bil′i•ty, n.
fore•se′er, n.
- 1. divine, discern. See predict.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
foresee /fɔːˈsiː/ vb ( -sees, -seeing, -saw, -seen)
'foresee' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
anticipate - envisage - envision - improvise - precognition - previse - second sight - see - arise - danger - divine - eternal - foreknow - precept - predict - prognosticate - provide - purvey - read - unforeseeable - unforeseeing