prophesy

English

Etymology

Partly from prophecy, and partly from Middle French prophecier, prophesier, from prophecie (“prophecy”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/
• (US) IPA: /ˈpɹɑfɪsaɪ/

Verb

prophesy (third-person singular simple present prophesies, present participle prophesying, simple past and past participle prophesied)

1. To speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet. [from 14th c.]
2. To predict, to foretell. [from 14th c.]
   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 745:

     ‘It has been prophesied more than once that he will find it.’

3. (intransitive, Christianity) To speak out on the Bible as an expression of holy inspiration; to preach. [from 14th c.]

Related terms

• prophecy
• prophet
• prophetic

Translations

to predict

• Catalan: profetitzar (ca)
• German: prophezeien (de)
• Greek: μαντεύω (el) (mantévo)
• Macedonian: прорекува (mk) (prorékuva)
• Romanian: profetiza (ro), profeți (ro), prezice (ro)

• Russian: предсказывать (ru) (pr'edskázyvat') impf., предсказать (ru) (pr'edskazát') pf.; прорицать (ru) (proricát') impf.; пророчить (ru) (proróčit') impf.
• Serbo-Croatian: pròreći (sh)
• Spanish: profetizar (es)
• Swedish: profetera (sv)

to speak as a prophet

• Catalan: profetitzar (ca)
• German: prophezeien (de)
• Greek: προβλέπω (el) (provlépo)

• Macedonian: прорекува (mk) (prorékuva)
• Russian: пророчествовать (ru) (proróčestvovat') impf.
• Serbo-Croatian: pròreći (sh)
• Spanish: profetizar (es)

to preach

• German: prophezeien (de)

• Macedonian: проповеда (mk) (propóveda)
• Serbo-Croatian: pròreći (sh)