predictive
adjective
pre·dic·tive
pri-ˈdik-tiv
1
: of, relating to, or usable or valuable for prediction
predictive medical factors
2
: based on or generated by using methods of prediction
predictive models
predictive text
Usually predictive policing refers to feeding reams of city data into a computer and dispatching extra officers to areas that are deemed to be at high risk of future crime.—Leon Neyfakh
predictively
adverb
Like an astrological chart, it can be made to fit any case, and it works better retrospectively than predictively.
—Carol Tavris
Cite this Entry
“Predictive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predictive. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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