lookahead

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noun

The analysis in advance of subsequent decisions that would be made if a particular branch of an algorithm was followed.

“Our computer chess program uses lookahead to avoid difficult endgames.”

UncommonScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounlookahead (countable and uncountable, plural lookaheads)

plural lookaheads

  1. countableuncountablecomputingThe analysis in advance of subsequent decisions that would be made if a particular branch of an algorithm was followed.

    Our computer chess program uses lookahead to avoid difficult endgames.

  2. countableuncountableregular expressionsThe analysis of the subsequent characters before the regular expression is matched.

Origin

Deverbal from look ahead.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lookahead. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lookahead

MLA

“lookahead.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lookahead. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lookahead,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lookahead.

Source: lookahead on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.