Meanings
plural forethoughts
- countableuncountableThinking beforehand or in advance, planning; prior or previous consideration.
Near-synonym: foresight
1 more example
With a little forethought we'd have planned for this contingency and not been stuck here now.
Synonyms: premeditation, foresight
- countableuncountableAnticipation.
- not comparableThought of, or planned, beforehand.
c. 1613–1621, Francis Bacon, The judicial charge upon the commission of Oyer and Terminer held for the verge of the Court Forethought malice.
Synonyms: aforethought, premeditated
- participlepastsimple past and past participle of forethink
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThinking beforehand or in advance, planning; prior or previous consideration.
adjectiveThought of, or planned, beforehand.
More synonyms by meaning
nounplanning or plotting in advance of acting
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old English*foreþōht“forethought”
- Middle Englishforethouht
- Englishforethought
From Middle English forethouht, forethoght, from Old English *foreþōht (“forethought”); equivalent to fore- + thought. See also forethink.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek προμήθεια, πρόνοια
- προμήθεια (promḗtheia)thinking beforehand
- πρόνοια (prónoia)thinking beforehand
Bulgarian преднамереност, предвидливост
- преднамереност (prednamerenost)thinking beforehand
- предвидливост (predvidlivost)provident care
Finnish ennakointi, kauaskatseisuus
- ennakointithinking beforehand
- kauaskatseisuusthinking beforehand
- ennakointianticipation
- järkiprovident care
- järkevyysprovident care
Icelandic fyrirhyggja
- fyrirhyggjathinking beforehand
Latin praecogitatio
- praecogitatiothinking beforehand
Polish premedytacja, przezorność
- premedytacjathinking beforehand
- przezornośćthinking beforehand
- oczekiwanieanticipation
- roztropnośćprovident care
- rozwagaprovident care
Russian предусмотрительность, продуманность
- предусмотрительность (predusmotritelʹnostʹ)thinking beforehand
- продуманность (produmannostʹ)thinking beforehand
- обдуманность (obdumannostʹ)thinking beforehand
Turkish ihtiyat
- ihtiyatthinking beforehand
Ukrainian продуманість, обдуманість
- продуманість (produmanistʹ)thinking beforehand
- обдуманість (obdumanistʹ)thinking beforehand
- передбачливість (peredbačlyvistʹ)anticipation
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with forethought
Cite this entry
forethought. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forethought
“forethought.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forethought. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forethought,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forethought.
Source: forethought on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.