Meanings
present singular third person forewarns · participle present forewarning · participle past forewarned · past forewarned
- To warn in advance.
And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]
1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC, page 2911 more example
“I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn’t I ? Why didn’t I telephone ? Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape.[…]”
1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad, →OL
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*furawarnōną“to forewarn”
- Old Englishforewarnian“to take warning beforehand; forewarn”
- Middle English*forewarnen
- Englishforewarn
Early 14th century, from Middle English *forewarnen (suggested by Middle English forewarned, forewarning, forewarner, etc.), from Old English forewarnian (“to take warning beforehand; forewarn”), from Proto-Germanic *furawarnōną (“to forewarn”), equivalent to fore- + warn. Cognate with German vorwarnen (“to forewarn”), Swedish förvarna (“to forewarn”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian предупреждавам
- предупреждавам (predupreždavam)to warn in advance
Dutch waarschuwen, op de hoogte stellen
- waarschuwento warn in advance
- op de hoogte stellento warn in advance
French précautionner
- précautionnerto warn in advance
German vorwarnen
- vorwarnento warn in advance
Italian premonire
- premonireto warn in advance
Latin praemoneō, praeclamo
- praemoneōto warn in advance
- praeclamoto warn in advance
Māori whakatūpato
- whakatūpatoto warn in advance
Portuguese pré-avisar, acautelar
- pré-avisarto warn in advance
- acautelarto warn in advance
Swedish förvarna
- förvarnato warn in advance
Cite this entry
forewarn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forewarn
“forewarn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forewarn. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forewarn,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forewarn.
Source: forewarn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.