prophecy
noun
proph·e·cy
ˈprä-fə-sē 
variants
or less commonly prophesy
plural prophecies also prophesies
1
: an inspired utterance of a prophet
2
: the function or vocation of a prophet
specifically
: the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose
3
: a prediction of something to come
Synonyms
Examples of prophecy in a Sentence
The prophecies of the author have all come true.
She has the gift of prophecy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Making matters worse, like a nightmarish self-fulfilling prophecy, the very words used by clinicians might well have caused some of this harm.
—
TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
As with all dark prophecies, warnings about A.I. are unsettling, uncouth, and quite possibly wrong.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
The curse was never confirmed by anyone else but as the Lions have lived up to the prophecy with only one playoff win since 1957, the story has become entrenched into the fabric of Detroit sports history.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2024
In ancient cultures, solar eclipses were seen as apocalyptic prophecies, omens of the displeasure of the gods, periodic celestial coincidences, or some mixture of all three.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024
In many ways, Mean Streets functions as a prophecy for all the thematic fixations and stylistic flair of the filmmaker’s future work.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024
Percy is haunted throughout the season by the last two lines of the prophecy given to him by the Oracle of Delphi.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024
The star was imagined—made up, in part, probably, because of Old Testament prophecies that demanded such a star if a Messiah was to be born at all.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2023
Remain focused Try not to turn your layoff anxiety into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
As with all dark prophecies, warnings about A.I. are unsettling, uncouth, and quite possibly wrong.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
The curse was never confirmed by anyone else but as the Lions have lived up to the prophecy with only one playoff win since 1957, the story has become entrenched into the fabric of Detroit sports history.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2024
In ancient cultures, solar eclipses were seen as apocalyptic prophecies, omens of the displeasure of the gods, periodic celestial coincidences, or some mixture of all three.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024
In many ways, Mean Streets functions as a prophecy for all the thematic fixations and stylistic flair of the filmmaker’s future work.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024
Percy is haunted throughout the season by the last two lines of the prophecy given to him by the Oracle of Delphi.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024
The star was imagined—made up, in part, probably, because of Old Testament prophecies that demanded such a star if a Messiah was to be born at all.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2023
Remain focused Try not to turn your layoff anxiety into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prophecy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prophecy
Cite this Entry
“Prophecy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophecy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prophecy
noun
proph·e·cy
ˈpräf-ə-sē
plural prophecies
1
: the sayings of a prophet
2
: the foretelling of the future
the gift of prophecy
3
: something foretold : prediction
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