early 15c., previsioun, "foresight," from Old French prévision (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin previsionem (nominative previsio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin praevidere "see first, see beforehand," from prae "before" (see pre-) + videre "to see" (from PIE root *weid- "to see"). A verb previse "foresee; cause to foresee" is attested in English from 1590s, from the Latin past participle.