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Definition of prophecy noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

prophecy

noun
 
/ˈprɒfəsi/
 
/ˈprɑːfəsi/
(plural prophecies)
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  1. [countable] a statement that something will happen in the future, especially one made by somebody with religious or magic powers
    • to fulfil a prophecy (= make it come true)
    Extra Examples
    • The poem contains a bleak prophecy of war and ruin.
    • low expectations that become a self-fulfilling prophecy
    • Macbeth believed the witches' prophecy about his future.
    Topics Religion and festivalsc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • self-fulfilling
    • Biblical
    • Messianic
    • …
    verb + prophecy
    • make
    • fulfil/​fulfill
    • become
    • …
    preposition
    • prophecy about
    • prophecy of
    phrases
    • the gift of prophecy
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] (formal) the power of being able to say what will happen in the future
    • She was believed to have the gift of prophecy.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • self-fulfilling
    • Biblical
    • Messianic
    • …
    verb + prophecy
    • make
    • fulfil/​fulfill
    • become
    • …
    preposition
    • prophecy about
    • prophecy of
    phrases
    • the gift of prophecy
    See full entry
    3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French profecie, via late Latin from Greek prophēteia, from prophētēs ‘spokesman’, from pro ‘before’ + phētēs ‘speaker’ (from phēnai ‘speak’).
See prophecy in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee prophecy in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: prophecy

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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