forerunner

noun

fore·​run·​ner ˈfȯr-ˌrə-nər 

1

: one that precedes and indicates the approach of another: such as

a

: a premonitory sign or symptom

b

: a skier who runs the course before the start of a race

2

: predecessor, ancestor

Synonyms

• angel
• foregoer
• harbinger
• herald
• outrider
• precursor

Choose the Right Synonym for forerunner

forerunner, precursor, harbinger, herald mean one that goes before or announces the coming of another.

forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season

the herald of a new age in medicine

Examples of forerunner in a Sentence

a simple machine that was the forerunner of today's computers

I had that strange feeling that's the forerunner of a cold.

Recent Examples on the Web

Jones’s conspiracy forerunners of the 1980s and ’90s, such as Art Bell and George Knapp, focused on UFOs and the paranormal. —Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 17 June 2024

This demonstration is a forerunner to future Starship test flights that will bring the booster, and eventually the upper stage, back to land for reuse again and again. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 June 2024

When one pop star meets another in these docs, that interaction serves as an endorsement from a cherished forerunner. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024

The following year, suicide bombers belonging to al Qaeda in Iraq (the forerunner of ISIS) attacked three hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing around 60 people. —Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

forerunner

noun

fore·​run·​ner -ˌrən-ər 

1

: one going or sent before to give notice of the approach of others : harbinger

2

: predecessor, ancestor