unpredictable

/ˌʌnpɹɪˈdɪktəbəl/uhn-prih-DIK-tuh-buhl

/ˌʌnpɹɪˈdɪktəbəl/uhn-prih-DIK-tuh-buhl

Meaningnot able to be foretold

Common meaning: impossible to foresee

unnot; reverse of
prebefore
dictto say, speakLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 570 · scan
ableable to be

‘not’ + ‘before’ + ‘to say, speak’ → unpredictable

Journey through time

Latindīcō, dīxī, dictum‘to say, speak’
Englishunpredictable‘impossible to foresee’ · today

un- also in: untypical uncreative ungrateful unproductive

pre- also in: prefix precede precise predict preface

dict also in: dictate diction dictionary predict verdict

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin dīcō ‘to say, speak’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry dīcō, p. 570 · dictionary scan

Roots

dīcō, dīxī, dictum Latin “to say, speak”

Related words

benediction condition contradict dictate diction dictionary edict malediction predict predictable prediction verdict

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