premonition

[ pree-muh-nish-uhn, prem-uh- ]

noun

1. a feeling of anticipation of or anxiety over a future event; presentiment:

   He had a vague premonition of danger.

   Synonyms: sign, omen, portent, foreboding

2. a forewarning.

premonition

/ prɪˈmɒnɪtərɪ; ˌprɛməˈnɪʃən; -trɪ /

noun

1. an intuition of a future, usually unwelcome, occurrence; foreboding
2. an early warning of a future event; forewarning

Derived Forms

• premonitory, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of premonition¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English premunicioun, from Late Latin praemonitiōn-, stem of praemonitiō “a forewarning”; equivalent to pre- + monition; also praemunire

Word History and Origins

Origin of premonition¹

C16: from Late Latin praemonitiō, from Latin praemonēre to admonish beforehand, from prae before + monēre to warn, advise

Example Sentences

The supermarket gave him a premonition of something sinister to come.

From Los Angeles Times

Dr. Bitton saw that, in a sense, everything that had passed between himself and Mr. Sinwar was a premonition of the events now coming to pass.

From New York Times

Back when it aired in the December episode hosted by Emma Stone, this ingenious sketch imagining what might have gone down at the 1969 recording sessions for Mama Cass Elliot’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” — a pleasant pop single that movies have since transformed into an eerie premonition of imminent death — didn’t even end up in our recap the following day.

From New York Times

“But the dominant emotion was a premonition of catastrophe.”

From Seattle Times

“But the dominant emotion was a premonition of catastrophe.”

From Washington Times

Related Words

• foreboding
• hunch
• omen
• portent