Word: prophecy (noun)

Associations

A prophecy is a prediction about the future, often based on a belief or a divine message.

• A priest made a prophecy about the coming of a great leader. This shows how prophecies are often linked to religious or spiritual beliefs.
• In the book, the prophecy revealed that a chosen one would save the kingdom. Here, the prophecy guides the story's main events.
• Many cultures have prophecies that predict events, such as the Mayan prophecy about the end of the world. This illustrates how prophecies can impact people's actions and beliefs.

A well-known synonym for prophecy is "prediction." The main difference is that "prediction" often refers to future events based on evidence or reasoning, while "prophecy" usually involves a spiritual or mysterious aspect.

Substitution

Other words or phrases that can be used instead of prophecy include:

• fortune: This generally refers to a prediction about someone's future, often in a personal and less formal context (like reading fortunes).
• omen: This suggests a sign of something that will happen; it is more focused on a warning or a foreboding feeling.
• foretelling: This refers to the act of predicting something; it emphasizes the action of making a prophecy.

Deconstruction

The word "prophecy" comes from the Greek word "prophetes," which means "one who speaks for a deity." It consists of the prefix "pro-" meaning "before" and "phemi," meaning "to speak." This indicates that a prophecy is someone speaking about events that will happen in the future.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when someone made a prediction that came true? What was it about?
• How do different cultures view prophecies? Have you seen or read about any specific ones?
• In what ways do you think prophecies might influence people's actions or decisions?