Meanings
plural precognitions
- countableuncountableparapsychologyKnowledge of the future; understanding of something in advance, especially as a form of supernatural or extrasensory perception.First known use 15th c.
Synonyms: prescience, foresight, foreknowledge, clairvoyance, premonition, divination, prophecy, psychicness
- countableuncountableScots lawThe practice of taking a factual statement from a witness before a trial.First known use 17th c.
1 more example
‘But it seems there are some strong presumptuous proofs against you, and I came to warn you this day that a precognition is in progress, and that unless you are perfectly convinced, not only of your innocence, but of your ability to prove it, it will be the safest course for you to abscond, and let the trial go on without you.’
1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Synonyms & antonyms
nounKnowledge of the future; understanding of something in advance, especially as a form of supernatural or extrasensory perception.
More synonyms by meaning
nounknowledge of an event before it occurs
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpraecognitio
- Middle Frenchprecognition
- Englishprecognition
Borrowed from Middle French precognition or its source, Latin praecognitio, from praecognōscō (“to know beforehand”). Doublet of Germanic-based foreknowledge and Greek-based prognosis. Equivalent to pre- + cognition.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian предусещане
- предусещане (preduseštane)knowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Catalan precognició
- precognicióknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Dutch precognitie, voorkennis
- precognitieknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
- voorkennisknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
French précognition
- précognitionknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
German Präkognition
- Präkognitionknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Greek πρόγνωση
- πρόγνωση (prógnosi)knowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Hungarian prekogníció, jövőérzékelés
- prekognícióknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
- jövőérzékelésknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
- jövőbe látásknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Italian precognizione
- precognizioneknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Japanese 予知, 予言
- 予知 (yochi)knowledge of something that is to occur in the future
- 予言 (yogen)knowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Korean 예지
- 예지 (yeji)knowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Malay prakognisi
- prakognisiknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Norwegian prekognisjon
- prekognisjonknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Polish prekognicja
- prekognicjaknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Portuguese precognição
- precogniçãoknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Russian предви́дение
- предви́дение (predvídenije)knowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Spanish precognición
- precogniciónknowledge of something that is to occur in the future
Cite this entry
precognition. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precognition
“precognition.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precognition. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “precognition,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/precognition.
Source: precognition on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.