Definition

Noun: - The practice of predicting information about a person's life: This refers to the act or art of attempting to foretell future events or gain insight into a person's circumstances through various methods, often involving supernatural or mystical means.

Usage

"Fortune telling" is used as a non-count noun to describe the general practice or profession. - She was curious about fortune telling and visited a psychic. - Some cultures have a long tradition of fortune telling.

Advanced Usage

• "to engage in fortune telling": to practice the art of predicting the future.
  • The old woman was said to engage in fortune telling using a deck of cards.

Variants and Related Words

• Fortune teller (n): a person who claims to predict the future.
  • The fortune teller looked into her crystal ball.

Synonyms

• Divination: the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.
• Prophecy: a prediction of what will happen in the future.

Related Phrases

• Have one's fortune told: to be the subject of a fortune telling session.
  • He went to the fair to have his fortune told.

Noun

1. the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means