soothsayer
/ˈsuːθseɪə
/noun
A person supposed to be able to foresee the future.Do you really think that while they're arresting heretics is the best time to be having trade with fortune tellers and soothsayers?...
- They recall the prophesy that a soothsayer named Calchas had once made about the future.
- Then he calls his soothsayers, but the wise men only shake their heads.
Derivatives
soothsaying
- Where the distinction between reliable and unreliable information is unclear, quackery, soothsaying, and magical thinking thrive.
- The relative prosperity afforded by tearoom soothsaying freed Martin to pursue art.
- An astrologer and healer born 500 years ago, he had the ear of royals, businessmen and clergy, even though the church prohibited soothsaying and the Inquisition was running hot.
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'person who speaks the truth'): see sooth.