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
Synonyms
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
The forerunner of the official formal market was TIFF’s Industry Selects program, launched in 2022.
—
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Tennant always brought his own intellection to Disco’s throbbing hedonism yet was hedonistic nonetheless, perfecting a musical idiom that his forerunner Noel Coward was too early to enjoy.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024
Their first restaurant, City Cafe, opened in 1981, was a forerunner in global-minded menus.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Originally marketed by a forerunner of GSK, it was later sold successively to Pfizer, Boehringer and finally to Sanofi.
—CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The service believes there are around 100 in existence total out of 200,000 initially printed by National Allied Publications, a forerunner of DC Comics.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
See also: eel ‘The Theory of the Leisure Class’ by Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Veblen’s 1899 magnum opus, The Theory of the Leisure Class, could be considered a forerunner of the behavioral economics so popular now.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
There definitely were no muppets during the Permian Period, but there was a Kermit - or at least a forerunner of modern amphibians that has been named after the celebrity frog.
—Fox News, 22 Mar. 2024
Jonas, in addition to her innovations in video, is now considered to be among the forerunners of artists training the full force of their creative powers on the climate crisis.
—Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Tennant always brought his own intellection to Disco’s throbbing hedonism yet was hedonistic nonetheless, perfecting a musical idiom that his forerunner Noel Coward was too early to enjoy.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024
Their first restaurant, City Cafe, opened in 1981, was a forerunner in global-minded menus.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Originally marketed by a forerunner of GSK, it was later sold successively to Pfizer, Boehringer and finally to Sanofi.
—CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The service believes there are around 100 in existence total out of 200,000 initially printed by National Allied Publications, a forerunner of DC Comics.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
See also: eel ‘The Theory of the Leisure Class’ by Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Veblen’s 1899 magnum opus, The Theory of the Leisure Class, could be considered a forerunner of the behavioral economics so popular now.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
There definitely were no muppets during the Permian Period, but there was a Kermit - or at least a forerunner of modern amphibians that has been named after the celebrity frog.
—Fox News, 22 Mar. 2024
Jonas, in addition to her innovations in video, is now considered to be among the forerunners of artists training the full force of their creative powers on the climate crisis.
—Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forerunner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near forerunner
Cite this Entry
“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forerunner. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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