forethought

[ fawr-thawt, fohr- ]

noun

1. thoughtful provision beforehand; provident care; prudence.
2. a thinking of something beforehand; previous consideration; anticipation.

forethought

/ ˈfɔːˌθɔːt /

noun

1. advance consideration or deliberation
2. thoughtful anticipation of future events

Derived Forms

• foreˈthoughtfulness, noun
• foreˈthoughtful, adjective
• foreˈthoughtfully, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of forethought¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, forethought is from the Middle English word forthoght. See fore-, thought ¹

Synonym Study

See prudence.

Example Sentences

Mbappe had an understanding, even as a teenager, of a wider, bigger plan; a programme of parental planning and forethought now widely known as 'Project Mbappe'.

From BBC

We often think of fish as carefree swimmers in the ocean, reacting to the world around them without much forethought.

From Science Daily

The Israeli-born Oxford scholar’s influential history frames Israel’s expansion beyond internationally recognized borders as a bargain made without sufficient forethought, leading to the cycle of stalemate, conflict and oppression that persists to this day.

From Los Angeles Times

That “has been in a sense dropped into the laps of interior cities without much preparation, without much forethought really at any level,” Russell added.

From Seattle Times

To determine if other animals are capable of utilizing this forethought, the researchers focused on the hippocampus.

From Scientific American