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profecía

pro-fe-SEE-ah/pɾofeˈθia/

“profecía” means “prophecy” in Spanish (a prediction of future events).

prophecy

Also: prediction
NounfB1
A mystical figure in a hooded cloak gazing into a glowing crystal ball that shows a faint vision of a distant castle.

📝 In Action

La profecía dice que el rey regresará pronto.

A2

The prophecy says that the king will return soon.

Muchos creen que la profecía de Nostradamus se cumplió.

B1

Many believe that Nostradamus's prophecy came true.

Fue una profecía autocumplida: tenía tanto miedo de fallar que al final falló.

B2

It was a self-fulfilling prophecy: they were so afraid of failing that they eventually failed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • predicción (prediction)
  • vaticinio (forecast/omen)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • cumplirse una profecía – for a prophecy to come true
  • profecía bíblica – biblical prophecy
  • lanzar una profecía – to make/issue a prophecy

Idioms & Expressions

  • profecía autocumplida – a prediction that causes itself to become true due to the behavior of the person who believes it

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: profecía

Question 1 of 3

Which of these is the correct way to say 'the prophecy'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
profeta(prophet) — Noun
profético(prophetic) — Adjective
profetizar(to prophesy) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
díaalegríaguía
📚 Etymology▼

From Ancient Greek 'propheteia' (the gift of interpreting the will of gods), which passed through Latin as 'prophetia' before becoming the Spanish 'profecía'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: prophecyFrench: prophétieItalian: profezia

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'profecía' only used in religious contexts?

No, while it started in religion, it is now used in literature, fantasy movies, and even psychology (like in 'self-fulfilling prophecy').

Is there a verb for making a prophecy?

Yes, the verb is 'profetizar', which means 'to prophesy' or 'to predict'.

Why does 'profecía' have an accent?

The accent on the 'í' prevents it from blending into the 'a', ensuring you pronounce both vowels clearly in separate beats.