portent

[ pawr-tent, pohr- ]

noun

1. an indication or omen of something about to happen, especially something momentous.

   Synonyms: warning, augury

2. threatening or disquieting significance:

   an occurrence of dire portent.

   Synonyms: import

3. a prodigy or marvel.

portent

/ ˈpɔːtɛnt /

noun

1. a sign or indication of a future event, esp a momentous or calamitous one; omen
2. momentous or ominous significance

   a cry of dire portent

3. a miraculous occurrence; marvel

Word History and Origins

Origin of portent¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin portentum “sign, token,” noun use of neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere “to signify, presage, portend”; portend

Word History and Origins

Origin of portent¹

C16: from Latin portentum sign, omen, from portendere to portend

Synonym Study

See sign.

Example Sentences

He can only hope it is an aberration and not a portent for a grim autumn campaign before his secondment with the British and Irish Lions.

From BBC

I was reminded of his 2016 no-show rally and near-riot at the University of Illinois at Chicago, an important portent of the way so-called political norms would be shattered during his rise to power.

From Salon

Yet Keener and other marine researchers aren’t sure if the animals’ presence is a sign of ecosystem health and rejuvenation or a portent of planetary disaster.

From Los Angeles Times

In a portent of things to come, Australian Jack Brabham finished ninth in a Cooper Climax, a modified version of the car he drove in European Formula One races.

From Los Angeles Times

“It's going to really deny those groups the opportunity to protect their opportunities for representation in legislative bodies. And that's a troubling portent for our future and given where we are as a country, that deeply polarized, deeply racialized place, such that if you deny those minorities power, this subjects them to abuse from legislatures and laws that they enact.”

From Salon

Related Words

• harbinger
• omen
• premonition