FORERUNNER Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'forerunner' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of forerunner are harbinger , herald , and precursor . While all these words 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

Q: How do 'harbinger' and 'herald' relate to one another, in the sense of 'forerunner'?

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

Q: When would 'precursor' be a good substitute for 'forerunner'?

The synonyms precursor and forerunner are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

forerunner

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌrə-nər

Definition of forerunner next

as in precursor

one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in ancestor

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word forerunner distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of forerunner are harbinger, herald, and precursor. While all these words 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

How do harbinger and herald relate to one another, in the sense of forerunner?

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

When would precursor be a good substitute for forerunner?

The synonyms precursor and forerunner are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Examples of forerunner in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web Its divergent economies, societies, and governments are integrated in ways that would have been unthinkable when the Treaty of Rome, which brought about the creation of the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the European Union, was signed in 1957. —

Francis J. Gavin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Jan. 2022 The tour, which includes Slipknot’s homecoming show at Knotfest Iowa, features support from Kentucky’s hardcore/metal forerunners Knocked Loose. —

Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 Sep. 2024 Its forerunner, the Office of Strategic Services, came into its own during World War II through supporting resistance forces in France, the Netherlands, and East Asia. —

Douglas London, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2022 When the railroad company merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway — the forerunner of today’s CSX — Mr. Genthner declined to transfer to another city, and took a job with what is now the State Highway Administration as a relocation and right-of-way agent. —

Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 4 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forerunner

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunner

Noun

Meanwhile, vast quantities of a precursor chemical for amphetamines, benzyl methyl ketone, or BMK, were exported from various Western countries to the Middle East.

Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Nearly all the precursor chemicals that are needed to make fentanyl come from China.

CBS News, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024