To foretell means to predict or announce something before it happens. When someone foretells the future, they're saying what they believe will occur, like a weather forecaster foretelling rain or a fortune teller foretelling someone's destiny.

Foretold is the past tense, so it describes predictions that were already made. In fairy tales, a wizard might have foretold that a princess would prick her finger on a spinning wheel. In real life, scientists who foretold that a comet would pass by Earth were proven right when it appeared exactly when they said it would.

The word carries a sense of certainty and seriousness. You wouldn't say someone foretold your quiz grade; you might say they guessed or predicted it. But ancient prophecies, major historical events, or significant scientific discoveries are often described as having been foretold. When something happens exactly as someone foretold it, we're often amazed by their insight or knowledge, whether they understood patterns others missed or simply made a lucky guess that turned out to be accurate.