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foretoken

foretoken

9.9
A sign that something will happen in the future
  • noun
  • /fɔrˈtoʊkən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : presagio
  • The dark clouds gathering on the horizon are often seen as a foretoken of impending rain.

Examples

  • In ancient times, the appearance of a comet was regarded as a foretoken of significant change.

  • Many believe that a sudden chill in the air can be a foretoken of an approaching storm.

  • Sometimes these energies are a foretoken of things to come.

Synonyms

sign
vsforetoken
3.2

An event that shows something is happening or will happen

is used specifically for events seen as predicting future happenings rather than any indication
omen
vsforetoken
91 4.9

A sign or event that people think shows what will happen next

is a neutral sign forecasting something rather than focusing on warning
portent
vsforetoken
  • Formal
10 8.7

A sign that something important, often bad, will happen

is a general predictive sign not necessarily implying disaster or great significance
forewarning
vsforetoken
3 5.6

A sign or notice that something bad will happen

is a predictive sign rather than an explicit alert or caution about danger
augury
vsforetoken
  • Literature
2 9.9

A sign people use to guess what will happen

is the neutral predictive sign rather than one given ritual or interpretive meaning
preindication
vsforetoken
9.9

A sign that something important will happen soon

is a general sign predicting future events without stressing their importance
prefigurement
vsforetoken
  • Literature
9.1

A sign or early example that shows what will happen later

is treated as a clear predictive sign rather than a mere hint or example
forerun
vsforetoken
7.7

Something that comes before and shows what will happen next

is a sign that predicts rather than being an actual earlier occurrence

Antonyms

426 3.4

A surprising event that happens at the same time as another by chance

How Indicative

portent
  • Formal
10 8.7
omen
91 4.9
foretoken
  • Archaic
9.9
sign
3.2
token
49 3.8
hint
153 1.5

Surface Forms

foretoken singular
foretokens plural

Morphology

foretoken = token (transparent) = fore + token

The meaning follows directly from 'fore-' (before) + 'token' (sign), yielding 'a sign beforehand'; the construction is morphologically regular though the word is somewhat archaic.

Etymology

Foretoken comes from fore- 'before' and token 'sign', so the word is literally a 'sign' that comes before something. A helpful way to remember it is to think of a small clue or early warning that tells you what will happen next.