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

“She had that forethought of knowledge as a child. I think that’s pretty cool. I think that’s really cool.”

From Los Angeles Times

"She knew when she was a teenager that she wanted to be a performer and told everybody that she was going to be the most famous fat girl that ever lived. She had that forethought of knowledge as a child. I think that's pretty cool. I think that's really cool."

From BBC

A woman, Capt. Edith Standen, also had the forethought while in post-war Germany to record all of her fellow monuments officers’ names, he said.

From Seattle Times

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

From Science Daily