forerunner

noun

fore·​run·​ner ˈfȯr-ˌrə-nər How to pronounce forerunner (audio)
1
: one that precedes and indicates the approach of another: such as
a
: a premonitory sign or symptom
b
: a skier who runs the course before the start of a race
2
Choose the Right Synonym for forerunner

forerunner, precursor, harbinger, herald mean one that goes before or announces the coming of another.

forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season
the herald of a new age in medicine

Examples of forerunner in a Sentence

a simple machine that was the forerunner of today's computers I had that strange feeling that's the forerunner of a cold.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Being a forerunner in your circle will put you in a good position and enable you to quickly field new possibilities, offering advantages. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 2 Nov. 2024 Lilly developed its forerunner more than 30 years prior, according to reporting from FiercePharma. Market pricing for prescription drugs creates the incentives that perpetuate this cycle of innovation. Sally Pipes, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 Dunham became, in time, a kind of spiritual mother to him—a forerunner in his fight to establish a school where Black dance idioms could be studied. Hilton Als, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 Psittacosaurus Paleontologists expected to find feathers and their forerunners around the skeletons of bird-like dinosaurs. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forerunner 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of forerunner was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near forerunner

Cite this Entry

“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forerunner. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

forerunner

noun
fore·​run·​ner -ˌrən-ər How to pronounce forerunner (audio)
1
: one going or sent before to give notice of the approach of others : harbinger
2

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