A prediction or statement about what will happen in the future, often made by someone believed to have special insight or divine knowledge.
From Old French 'prophecie,' derived from Late Latin 'prophetia,' from Greek 'prophetes' (one who speaks for a god—pro- 'before' + phetes 'speaker'). The word literally meant 'speaking beforehand' or 'speaking for a god'.
The most accurate 'prophecies' were usually based on careful observation of patterns rather than magic! Many ancient prophecies were educated guesses by observant people who noticed seasonal cycles, celestial patterns, or historical trends—essentially early science disguised as mysticism.
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