prophecy

noun

Etymology: From Middle English prophecie, from Old French prophetie, from Latin prophētīa, from Ancient Greek προφητεία (prophēteía, “prophecy”), from προφήτης (prophḗtēs, “speaker of a god”), from πρό (pró, “before”) + φημί (phēmí, “to tell”). Displaced native Old English wītgung. Doublet of prophesy.

1. A prediction, especially one made by a prophet or under divine inspiration.

   “French writer Nostradamus made a prophecy in his book.”

   “But Nature, prevoyant, tingled into his heart an inarticulate thrill of prophecy.”

2. The public interpretation of Scripture.

verb

1. Alternative form of prophesy.

   “[…] think of the kind pains you took to reason and persuade me out of my fears, convince me that I should like it after a little while, and feel how right you proved to be, I am inclined to hope you may always prophecy as well.”

   “The manipulation of these tremendous beneficent energies helped the world so well that the vast majority of these prophecied catastrophies did not happen.”