forewarning

F4O1R1E1W4A1R1N1I1N1G2

noun

An advance warning; an omen.

UncommonScrabble 18

Meanings

forewarning1

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of forewarn

forewarning2

nounforewarning (countable and uncountable, plural forewarnings)

plural forewarnings

  1. countableuncountableAn advance warning; an omen.

    For many humans, life does end abruptly, without much forewarning.

    2023, Erhard S. Gerstenberger, “Finding (or Missing) God and Meaning in Suffering”, in Michael G. Maness, Kevaughn Mattis, editors, Can You Hear My Pain Now?: Making Pastoral Theology Relevant in the Modern World, Wipf & Stock, →ISBN, part three (Pastoral Theology in Human Suffering), page 314
    3 more examples

    Beatrice knew his footstep at a distance that might have defied even the acute listener of the fairy tale; and yet, with even such long forewarning, would blush crimson deep on his entrance.

    1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 94

    I have never believed, as some people do, in omens and forewarnings, for the dramatic things in my life have generally come upon me as suddenly as a tropical thunder-storm.

    1936 July, John Buchan, “Lost Gods”, in The Island of Sheep, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC, part I (Fosse), page 11

    “It’s kind of this forewarning of like, ‘Hey you’re annoying me, I’m going to crash out,’” he said, “or like, ‘This project I’m working on is going to make me crash out.’”

    2025 June 17, Nicole Stock, “Why Is Everybody ‘Crashing Out’?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 18 Jun 2025

    Synonyms: premonition

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn advance warning; an omen.

More synonyms by meaning

nounan early warning about a future event

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

forewarning · verb

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Full word history & related roots →

forewarning · noun

  1. Middle Englishforwarning
  2. Englishforewarning

From Middle English forwarning, equivalent to forewarn + -ing or fore- + warning. Cognate with German Vorwarnung (“forewarning”), Swedish förvarning (“forewarning”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese pré-aviso
  • pré-avisoadvance warning
Cite this entry
APA

forewarning. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forewarning

MLA

“forewarning.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forewarning. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forewarning,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forewarning.

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