Definition

1. Noun:
   • The art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means: The act or practice of predicting future events through claimed supernatural insight, divination, or magical means.
   • A statement made about the future: A specific prediction or prophecy about what will happen.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The ancient priestess was renowned for her foretelling of harvests and wars.
  • His gloomy foretelling of economic collapse made everyone anxious.
  • We dismissed her claims as mere foretelling without any real evidence.

Advanced Usage

• "act of foretelling": The process or instance of making a prediction.
  • The act of foretelling the king's fate was forbidden.
• "gift of foretelling": A natural or divine ability to predict the future.
  • According to legend, she possessed the gift of foretelling.

Variants and Related Words

• Foretell (verb): To predict or prophesy a future event.
  • The oracle sought to foretell the outcome of the battle.
• Soothsaying (noun): The practice of foretelling events, often synonymous with foretelling.
• Prophecy (noun): A prediction of the future, often with a divine or inspired connotation.

Synonyms

• Prediction: A statement about what will happen in the future.
• Prognostication: A forecast or prediction, often based on present signs.
• Divination: The practice of seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means.

Related Phrases

• "a foretelling of doom": A prediction of disaster or terrible events.
  • The dark clouds were seen as a foretelling of doom.
• "self-fulfilling foretelling": A prediction that causes itself to become true by influencing actions.
  • His foretelling of failure became a self-fulfilling prophecy when he stopped trying.

Noun

1. the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means
2. a statement made about the future