foresight
Loading your saved state.
foresight
The ability to anticipate future events or needs and prepare for them. It describes wise and well-planned action.
Mit großer Voraussicht hatte sie einen Regenschirm eingepackt, obwohl die Sonne schien.
With great foresight, she had packed an umbrella even though the sun was shining.
foreseeability
In the legal sense, the recognizability or foreseeability of a possible consequence of one's own actions. This is relevant for assessing negligence.
Dem Angeklagten fehlte die Voraussicht, dass sein Handeln zu solch schweren Verletzungen führen könnte.
The defendant lacked the foreseeability that his actions could lead to such serious injuries.
The word is made up of 'voraus' (ahead/in advance) and 'Sicht' (sight/view). So it literally describes the ability to see ahead or look into the future.
Ihrer Voraussicht ist es zu verdanken, dass wir genug Proviant für die Wanderung haben.
Thanks to her foresight, we have enough provisions for the hike.
A very common and useful expression is 'aller Voraussicht nach'. It means 'very likely' or 'as can be expected'.
Aller Voraussicht nach wird der Zug pünktlich ankommen.
In all likelihood, the train will arrive on time.
In its general meaning, 'Voraussicht' (foresight) is often used with the preposition 'mit' (with) to describe wise action. Typical constructions are 'mit Voraussicht handeln' (to act with foresight) or 'etwas mit Voraussicht tun' (to do something with foresight).
Er hat mit großer Voraussicht gehandelt und frühzeitig die Tickets gebucht.
He acted with great foresight and booked the tickets early.
This special meaning of 'Voraussicht' (foreseeability) is a technical term from legal language. You can recognize it by the fact that it appears in the context of court proceedings, accidents, and questions of negligence.
Das Gericht prüfte, ob für den Fahrer die Gefahr mit der nötigen Voraussicht erkennbar war.
The court examined whether the danger was recognizable to the driver with the necessary foreseeability.
foresight / panoramic view
Both words praise intelligent action with the future in mind. Voraussicht emphasizes recognizing specific events or needs early and preparing for them. Weitblick places more emphasis on a broad strategic overview and long-term planning. Voraussicht is usually the better choice for concrete preparations, while Weitblick is more suitable for major plans.
Dank ihrer Voraussicht hatte sie für den angekündigten Sturm genügend Wasser und Lebensmittel zu Hause.
Thanks to her foresight, she had enough water and food at home for the announced storm.
Mit seinem Weitblick entwickelte der Bürgermeister einen langfristigen Plan für die ganze Stadt.
With his foresight, the mayor developed a long-term plan for the entire city.
