herald

[ her-uhld ]

noun

1. (formerly) a royal or official messenger, especially one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.
2. a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger:

   the returning swallows, those heralds of spring.

3. a person or thing that proclaims or announces:

   A good newspaper should be a herald of truth.

4. (in the Middle Ages) an officer who arranged tournaments and other functions, announced challenges, marshaled combatants, etc., and who was later employed also to arrange processions, funerals, etc., and to regulate the use of armorial bearings.
5. an official intermediate in rank between a king-of-arms and a pursuivant, in the Heralds' College in England or the Heralds' Office in Scotland.

verb (used with object)

1. to give news or tidings of; announce; proclaim:

   a publicity campaign to herald a new film.

2. to indicate or signal the coming of; usher in.

   Synonyms: tout, ballyhoo, publicize

herald

/ ˈhɛrəld /

noun

1. 1. a person who announces important news
   2. ( as modifier )

      herald angels

2. literary.
   a forerunner; harbinger
3. the intermediate rank of heraldic officer, between king-of-arms and pursuivant
4. (in the Middle Ages) an official at a tournament

verb

1. to announce publicly
2. to precede or usher in

Word History and Origins

Origin of herald¹

1300–50; Middle English herau ( l ) d < Old French herau ( l ) t < Frankish *heriwald, equivalent to *heri army + *wald commander ( wield ). Compare name Harold

Word History and Origins

Origin of herald¹

C14: from Old French herault, of Germanic origin; compare Old English here war; see wield

Example Sentences

For Kenyan musician and producer Tabu Osusa, it heralds the risk of cultural appropriation - with AI passing off African sounds without acknowledging their source.

From BBC

The Tartan Army will bid it good riddance while, at the same time, heralding the arrival of a new darling.

From BBC

She also grew up in and remains a member of a cult called the Science of Identity Foundation whose leader is heralded by members as a deity in his own right.

From Salon

But while the government stresses there are "no plans to abolish the RTB", the "social revolution" Lord Heseltine heralded nearly 45 years ago is clearly facing a radical change to everything but its name.

From BBC

Just a few years ago, the city was heralded as the next chic, hip thing, its tree-lined streets bustling with new boutiques, buzzing restaurants and rents so high that it sparked an anti-gentrification backlash.

From Los Angeles Times