Prescient By Deane Barker • September 8, 2021 • Definition: having knowledge of things or events before they exist or happen; having foresight To be “prescient” means to have “prescience” which is simply the combination of “pre-” and “science” (knowledge). Why I Looked It Up I used this word in a blog post without thinking about it, then suddenly realized that I only barely knew what it meant. I had one of those panicked moments when I thought I might have gotten it wrong, so I looked it up, and I had it right.