foresight
gb/fˈɔɹsˌaɪt/ us/fˈɔɹsˌaɪt/
B2
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
property
1
ability to plan for the future
The ability to know or guess what the future will need, and to plan for it.
Usage pattern:
to have [foresight] about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "foresight" with "hindsight". "Foresight" is about knowing or guessing things before they happen, while "hindsight" is understanding something only after it has happened. Also, "foresight" is a noun; do not say *"to foresight"* as a verb.
Synonyms
forethought (Focuses on thinking about the future in advance, slightly more about the thinking than the ability.)
|
vision (Often used for imaginative or creative foresight, especially in leadership or business.)
|
prudence (Emphasizes careful, cautious judgment rather than the predictive aspect.)
Antonyms
shortsightedness (Lack of thinking about the distant future; focus only on immediate results.)
|
impulsiveness (Acting without thinking ahead or considering future consequences.)
Collocations
great foresight
|remarkable foresight
|long-term foresight
|political foresight
|strategic foresight
|show foresight
Themes
thinking
|business
|planning
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her financial foresight allowed her to retire comfortably in her early fifties.
- The company’s success was largely due to the CEO’s foresight about changes in the market.
- Urban planners need foresight to design cities that can handle future population growth.
- With a bit more foresight, the government could have avoided the current energy crisis.
Learner examples
- She showed great foresight when she saved money for hard times.
- Good leaders need foresight to make the right decisions.
- Because of his foresight, the team was ready for the storm.
- Without foresight, they built homes in a place that soon flooded.
Noun
B2
action
2
careful planning for the future
Careful planning or action done now to be ready for future needs or troubles.
Usage pattern:
thanks to [someone]'s foresight, [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse "preparation" instead of "foresight". "Preparation" is about getting ready, but "foresight" includes the idea of wisely seeing a future need before others notice it.
Synonyms
planning ahead (More informal and descriptive; focuses on the process rather than the quality of judgment.)
Antonyms
carelessness (Not taking enough care to think about or prepare for the future.)
Collocations
thanks to his foresight
|showed foresight
|demonstrated foresight
|displayed foresight
|a lack of foresight
|organizational foresight
Themes
planning
|daily life
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Thanks to her foresight in buying extra supplies, the family managed well during the blackout.
- The city’s foresight in investing in public transport is paying off now.
- His foresight to back up all the data saved the project after the system crash.
- Without proper foresight in infrastructure, the region struggled to cope with the sudden growth.
Learner examples
- Thanks to his foresight, we had enough food for the trip.
- The company’s foresight in training staff helped during the busy season.
- With a little foresight, they fixed the roof before the heavy rain.
- There was no foresight, so the event had many problems.
Noun
technical
C2
action
3
surveying sight on forward point
In land measuring (surveying), a measurement you take by looking at a point in front of you along the line you are measuring.
Usage pattern:
to take a [foresight] on [a point]
Synonyms
forward sight (Near-equivalent technical term; some fields prefer this phrase over "foresight".)
Antonyms
backsight (A sight taken on a reference point behind the instrument, the opposite direction from a foresight.)
Collocations
take a foresight
|backsight and foresight
|rod foresight
|foresight reading
Themes
engineering
|science
|work
Examples
- The surveyor took a foresight on the benchmark to determine the change in elevation.
- Each foresight must be recorded carefully to ensure the accuracy of the leveling run.
- After setting up the level, they first took a backsight and then a foresight to the next station.
Learner examples
- The student learned how to take a foresight with the level.
- In this exercise, you write down every foresight in your field book.
- The engineer checked the foresight before moving the instrument.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
front sight on a firearm
The small part at the front of a gun that you line up with the back sight and the target to aim correctly.
Usage pattern:
to align the [foresight] with [the target]
Synonyms
front sight (The standard modern term; "foresight" is more traditional or field-specific.)
Antonyms
backsight (The rear sight on a firearm, positioned opposite the foresight for aiming.)
Collocations
align the foresight
|rifle foresight
|blade foresight
|adjustable foresight
Themes
weapons
|sports
|law
Examples
- The shooter carefully aligned the rifle’s foresight with the center of the target.
- Mud on the foresight can make accurate shooting almost impossible.
- He replaced the standard foresight with a high-visibility fiber-optic post.
Learner examples
- You must keep the foresight sharp and clear when you aim.
- The hunter cleaned the foresight before using the gun.
- She learned to line up the foresight and the back sight with the target.
Grammar
Dictionary form
foresight
IPA
GB/fˈɔɹsˌaɪt/
US/fˈɔɹsˌaɪt/
Syllables & stress
foresight (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (foresight)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: foresight
- Plural: foresight, foresights
Word family
Forms
foresights
noun
Core family
foresee
verb B2
foreseeable
adjective B2
Related words
forethought
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unforeseeable
adjective
Advanced or less common
foresighted
adjective
foreseeably
adverb
Expressions
a lack of foresight
1/ə lˈæk əv fˈɔɹsˌaɪt/
fixed phrase
not thinking ahead enough
Not thinking or planning enough for the future; failing to see problems before they come.
Examples
- The traffic chaos shows a serious lack of foresight in city planning.
- Their financial troubles came from a lack of foresight when times were good.
have the foresight to
1/hˈæv ðə fˈɔɹsˌaɪt tə/
fixed phrase
be wise enough to plan ahead
To be smart and careful enough to think about a future problem and do something before it happens.
Examples
- She had the foresight to save a copy of every important document.
- They had the foresight to buy insurance before starting the risky project.
- He had the foresight to learn coding before it became a required skill.
show foresight
1/ʃˈoʊ fˈɔɹsˌaɪt/
fixed phrase
demonstrate ability to plan ahead
To do something that proves you can think about and plan for the future well.
Examples
- The board showed foresight by investing in renewable energy early.
- Parents can show foresight by saving for their children’s education.
with the foresight to
1/wˈɪθ ðə fˈɔɹsˌaɪt tə/
fixed phrase
acting while planning for future
Describes someone doing something now because they can see that it will be useful in the future.
Examples
- She invested early, with the foresight to see that housing prices would rise.
- He moved his servers, with the foresight to avoid possible flooding in the old building.