foreknowledge

[ fawr-nol-ij, fohr-, fawr-nol-ij, fohr- ]

noun

1. knowledge of something before it exists or happens; prescience:

   Did you have any foreknowledge of the scheme?

   Synonyms: foresightedness, premonition, presentiment

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreknowledge¹

First recorded in 1525–35; fore- + knowledge

Example Sentences

Columbus used his foreknowledge of a lunar eclipse to force the Arawak residents of present-day Jamaica to heel in fear.

From Los Angeles Times

This enables him to plan a project — the “foundation” of the title — that will long outlast his death, complete with periodic messages to his heirs that always show foreknowledge of their challenges and crises.

From Seattle Times

A leitmotif in "Strange New Worlds" relates to Pike foreknowledge that a life-changing accident lurks in his future.

From Salon

This has been telegraphed from the series' start; Pike's foreknowledge of a terrible fate he can't avoid, one that will leave him lingering between life and death, informs his overall joie de vivre.

From Salon

Police believe the three men had foreknowledge of the truck’s whereabouts and were looking into possible connections to two other recent armored-truck robberies in the area.

From Washington Times