imprevisible

See also: imprévisible

English

Adjective

imprevisible (comparative more imprevisible, superlative most imprevisible)

1. (rare) unforeseeable

   Antonyms: foreseeable, previsible

   • 1901, J. Herbert Williams, “Development”, in W. Spooner, editor, The Dublin Review‎^[1], volume 128, London: The Westminster Press, page 292:

     And the name or the phrase once started on its career is beyond control or recall ; and what it may grow into is imprevisible.

   • 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:

     […] there intervene periods of rest or repose, during which no food is taken, unless it be every now and then from time to time an occasional snack, quick drink or light collation, rendered if not indispensable at least welcome by an unforeseen acceleration of the metabolic exchanges due to circumstances of an imprevisible kind, […]

   • 1966, Gerard Smith, Freedom in Molina‎^[2], Loyola University Press, page 66:

     From these two points there emerges a third: The free act, considered in its human cause is imprevisible.

Derived terms

• imprevisibility

Catalan

Etymology

im- +‎ previsible

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [im.pɾə.βiˈzib.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [im.pɾə.viˈzib.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [im.pɾe.viˈzi.ble]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Adjective

imprevisible m or f (masculine and feminine plural imprevisibles)

1. unforeseeable, unpredictable

   Antonym: previsible

   • 2016 November 9, Ricardo Mir de Francia, “Trump conquista la Casa Blanca”, in El Periódico‎^[3]:

     Amb Trump, el futur és completament imprevisible, però el món hauria d'esperar un canvi fonamental de prioritats.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

• “imprevisible”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Spanish

Etymology

From im- +‎ previsible.

Adjective

imprevisible m or f (masculine and feminine plural imprevisibles)

1. unforeseeable, unpredictable

   Antonym: previsible

Derived terms

• imprevisiblemente

Further reading

• “imprevisible”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025