predictable

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Able to be guessed or expected beforehand because it follows a familiar pattern.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a predictable result; the ending was predictable.

   Patterns

   • predictable from something
   • predictable to someone

   The weather in the desert is highly predictable.

   Her reaction was entirely predictable.

   Sales follow a predictable pattern each winter.

2. 2adjectivecomparabledisapproving

   So expected that it is dull or lacks originality.

   Grammar: Often criticism: a predictable plot.

   Patterns

   • too predictable

   The film was fun but painfully predictable.

   He is a predictable writer who repeats the same twist.

   I found the menu predictable and uninspired.

Word forms

Common combinations

highly predictable

The outcome was highly predictable.

entirely predictable

His excuse was entirely predictable.

predictable pattern

The tides follow a predictable pattern.

predictable outcome

A predictable outcome disappointed the fans.

a little predictable

The ending felt a little predictable.

Synonyms and how they differ

foreseeable

Foreseeable describes what can be expected to happen, often in legal or planning talk, and is neutral rather than critical.

reliable

Reliable praises something you can depend on, while predictable can be dull.

formulaic

Formulaic always sounds negative and describes work that follows a set recipe.

obvious

Obvious means easy to see or understand, not necessarily expected from a pattern.

Opposites

Word family

predict verb

to say what will happen

prediction noun

a statement about the future

predictably adverb

in a way that was expected

predictability noun

the quality of being expected

unpredictable adjective

impossible to foresee

Commonly confused: predictable or predicable?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “predictable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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