ˈprē]sh(ē)ən(t)s, ˈpre], ]s(ē)-\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin praescientia, from Latin praescient-, praesciens + -ia -y
1. : foreknowledge of events:
a. : omniscience with regard to the future usually held to be a divine attribute
belief in the absolute prescience … of God — Frank Thilly
God's certain prescience of the volitions of moral agents — Jonathan Edwards
b. : the human faculty or quality of being able to anticipate the occurrence or nature of future events : foresight
the acute phatic prescience of a mother when her child is concerned — Weston La Barre
country people seem to have a greater prescience of snow — Adrian Bell
foresaw the great dangers … with far more prescience than most well-informed people — Sir Winston Churchill
2. : an instance of foreknowledge or foresight
presciences like these do come to us sometimes — Kenneth Roberts