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.
Three years before the convention, the Nixon administration had presented a draft treaty that proposed a forerunner to the International Seabed Authority: an agency established by the Law of the Sea that would collect royalties from underwater resources and distribute them to the developing world. Jack Truesdale, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2025 According to Hall, Minute Man was a forerunner in a number of fast-food concepts. Mike Keckhaver), arkansasonline.com, 11 Jan. 2025 Ditka, 6 foot 3 and 230 pounds, was a forerunner to the 6-4, 230-pound Bowers. Mike Sando, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024 Punk and Emo, the forerunners of today’s worm-mollusks, lived on the dark seafloor amid gardens of sponges, nearly 200 million years before the first dinosaurs emerged on land. Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 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 10 Feb. 2025.

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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