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To see beforehand; to have prescience of; to foreknow. A prudent man foreseeth the evil. Prov. xxii. 3.

case that; on condition that. [Obs.] One manner of meat is most sure to every complexion, foreseen that it be alway most commonly in conformity of qualities, with the person that eateth. Sir T. Elyot.

One who foresees or foreknows.

To fail to foresee. Bp. Hacket.

Incapable of being foreseen. South.

undesigned, sudden, and unexpected event; chance; contingency; often, an undesigned and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or unfortunate character; a casualty; a mishap; as, to die by an accident. Of moving accidents by flood and field. Shak. Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident: It is the very place God meant…

bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a daring feat. He loved excitement and adventure. Macaulay.

He retained his virtues amidst all his misfortunes -- misfortunes which no prudence could foresee or prevent."

To foresee (a wish, command, etc.) and do beforehand that which will be desired.

To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin. Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors. T. Watts.

To stop or hesitate as if suddenly frightened, or in doubt, or impeded by unforeseen difficulties; to take alarm; to exhibit hesitancy and indecision. We start and boggle at every unusual appearance. Glanvill. Boggling at nothing which serveth their purpose. Barrow.

Happening or coming to pass without design, and without being foreseen or expected; accidental; fortuitous; coming by chance. Casual breaks, in the general system. W. Irving.

That which comes without design or without being foreseen; contingency. Losses that befall them by mere casualty. Sir W. Raleigh.

An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency. His understanding could almost pierce into future contingets. South.

The act of divining; a foreseeing or foretelling of future events; the pretended art discovering secret or future by preternatural means. There shall not be found among you any one that . . . useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter. Deut. xviii. 10.

To foresee or foreknow; to detect; to anticipate; to conjecture. A sagacity which divined the evil designs. Bancroft.

or much effort; as, this task may be easily performed; that event might have been easily foreseen.

Sudden or unexpected appearance; an unforeseen occurrence; a sudden occasion. Most our rarities have been found out by casual emergency. Glanvill.

cessity or distress; need; a case demanding immediate action, supply, or remedy; as, an unforeseen exigency. "The present exigency of his affairs." Ludlow.

The element of chance in the affairs of life; the unforeseen and unestimated conitions considered as a force shaping events; fortune; esp., opposing circumstances against which it is useless to struggle; as, fate was, or the fates were, against him. A brave man struggling in the storms of fate. Pope. Sometimes an hour…