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The verb presage was predated by a noun presage, meaning "omen." Both forms derive from the Latin prefix prae- combined with the adjective sagus, meaning "prophetic." Foretell, predict, forecast, prophesy, and presage all mean "to tell beforehand." Foretell applies to telling of a future event by any procedure or any source of information ("seers foretold the calamity"). Predict commonly implies inference from facts or accepted laws of nature ("astronomers predicted an eclipse"). Forecast implies anticipating eventualities and is usually concerned with probabilities ("the meteorologist forecasts snow"). Prophesy connotes inspired or mystic knowledge of the future ("the soothsayer prophesied a new messiah"). Presage may apply to suggesting a coming event or indicating its likelihood.
Synonyms
Examples of presage in a Sentence
Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
As the ending of the story perhaps presages, Martha is on the cusp of a change in her life.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Jacqueline D. Wernimont, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
That commitment to a boring final act presaged a wave of mediocre—alright, abysmal—Marvel shows on Disney+, like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Moon Knight and Secret Invasion.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near presage
Cite this Entry
“Presage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presage. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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