[French, from Old French, from Latin praesciēns, praescient-, present participle of praescīre, to know beforehand : prae-, pre- + scīre, to know; see skei- in Indo-European roots.] pre'scient·ly adv.
c.1374, from L.L. præscientia "fore-knowledge," from *præscientem, prp. of *præscire "to know in advance," from L. præ- "before" + scire "to know" (see science).