fore·thought
ˈfȯr-ˌthȯt 
1
: a thinking or planning out in advance : premeditation
2
: consideration for the future
archaic
Examples of forethought in a Sentence
Noun
Her decision showed a lack of forethought.
With a little forethought, you can save yourself a lot of work later on.
Recent Examples on the Web
Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
The film is pretty funny, in part because Grand Theft Auto is set up for killing, and random people — or whatever the players decided to costume their avatars as — can wander through and shoot someone without malice or forethought.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Jessica Ledingham, J.d., Ll.m., Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Unlike consumer-facing apps, AI adoption at the enterprise level requires significant resources and forethought.
—Ricardo Madan, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for forethought
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
His collaborators quickly saw which way the wind was blowing: policy debates disappeared, and the government pursued a radical agenda with little forethought and no real scrutiny.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
The film is pretty funny, in part because Grand Theft Auto is set up for killing, and random people — or whatever the players decided to costume their avatars as — can wander through and shoot someone without malice or forethought.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Tax planning requires forethought, timing, and a constant analysis of the ever evolving legal landscape.
—Jessica Ledingham, J.d., Ll.m., Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Unlike consumer-facing apps, AI adoption at the enterprise level requires significant resources and forethought.
—Ricardo Madan, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for forethought
Cite this Entry
“Forethought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forethought. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share