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Glite Dictionary
to foreknow

to foreknow

9.7
To know something before it happens
  • verb
  • /fɔrˈnoʊ/
translation icon : prever
  • The scientist was able to foreknow the outcomes of her experiments through careful analysis of the data.

He knows in order that he may foreknow savoir pour prewar, right?

Examples

  • The fatalistic view was well expressed by Jocasta advising Oedipus, "Why should man fear since change is all for him, and he can clearly foreknow nothing?" (Sophocles, Oedipus the King, 977-78).

    Academic text (1992)

  • Many people wish they could foreknow the results of their decisions before acting on them.

  • None of us can know that can foreknow the full cost of claiming and pursuing life giving dreams.

  • That its occurrence is not certain and necessary, Who could foreknow that it is to happen?

  • He knows in order that he may foreknow savoir pour prewar, right?

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • I was terribly tempted to remark that if she were truly a seeress, she would foreknow the blows in time to duck.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He claimed to foreknow the weather conditions for the week based on his studies of patterns.

Synonyms

to know
vsto foreknow
∞ 1.0

To have information about something

means awareness that exists before an event rather than general information
to anticipate
vsto foreknow
109 3.2

To expect that something will happen

is prior awareness rather than simply expecting or predicting
to foresee
vsto foreknow
77 3.9

To know or expect something before it happens

is direct prior awareness rather than imagining or predicting
to foretell
vsto foreknow
41 7.0

To say what will happen in the future

is internal prior awareness rather than public declaration or omen reading
to cognize
vsto foreknow
1 9.6

To notice and understand something in your mind

refers to awareness specifically before events rather than general recognition
to previse
vsto foreknow
  • Archaic
9.9

To know something before it happens

is about prior awareness rather than active prediction or expectation
to foreshow
vsto foreknow
  • Archaic
9.9

Predict an event from a sign or dream

is ordinary prior awareness without supernatural or inspired claims

How Certain

to know
∞ 1.0
to foreknow
9.7
to foresee
77 3.9
to predict
812 3.0
to suspect
925 3.6
to guess
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

foreknow infinitive
foreknowing present participle
foreknows third person singular
foreknew past
foreknown past participle

Morphology

foreknow = know (transparent) = fore + know

Meaning is directly derived from the productive prefix 'fore-' (before) + 'know' (to be aware), so learners who know both parts can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word foreknow comes from the old prefix fore- meaning 'before' and the simple verb know, so it literally means to 'know before' something happens. That's why to foreknow something is to know it in advance.