预言作为汉语词语包含双重语法功能：作动词时指通过非科学方式预先陈述未来事件（如”他预言明日将有暴雨”），作名词时特指这类陈述的具体内容（如”古老的预言正在应验”）。
As a Chinese word, “prophecy” has a dual grammatical function: as a verb, it refers to the prediction of future events through non-scientific means (e.g., “He predicted that there would be heavy rain tomorrow”); as a noun, it specifically refers to the specific content of such a statement (e.g., “The ancient prophecy is being fulfilled”).
在语言学范畴内与”预知””预告”等词汇构成近义关系，其概念核心在于强调对未发生事件的超前认知。预言包含两种含义：
- 对未来将发生的事情的预报或预测，这一用法不限于宗教含义；
- 在宗教当中，指的是声称由神灵传达给某些个人（通常称为先知）的消息。 这些消息通常涉及灵感、梦的解释，或关于先知当代世界的神圣意志（神圣知识）的启示和/或对未来事件的超自然知识。在宗教背景下，预言是先知在神灵启发下或代表神灵宣讲的消息；先知是在这类现象中宣称自己被神灵召唤的人。
这个概念还包括通过神力或者非凡的能力所获得的对现时的真理和事实的宣布。最常见的预言是在社会或者宗教危机时期对未来的警告。在许多重要的信仰著作中都载有这类预言。
In linguistics, it is synonymous with terms such as “foreknowledge” and “forecast,” and its core concept emphasizes the advanced knowledge of events that have not yet occurred. Prophecy has two meanings:
A forecast or prediction of future events, a usage not limited to religious ones;
In religion, it refers to messages purportedly conveyed by a deity to certain individuals (often called prophets). These messages typically involve inspiration, dream interpretation, or revelations of divine will (divine knowledge) regarding the prophet’s contemporary world and/or supernatural knowledge of future events. In a religious context, prophecy is a message delivered by a prophet under the inspiration of or on behalf of a deity; a prophet is someone who claims to be divinely summoned in such events.
The concept also encompasses the proclamation of present truths and facts through divine power or extraordinary abilities. The most common prophecy is a warning about the future during times of social or religious crisis. Such prophecies are found in many important religious works.