forerunner

[fawr-ruhn-er, fohr-, fawr-ruhn-er, fohr-]

noun

1. predecessor; ancestor; forebear; precursor.

2. an omen, sign, or indication of something to follow; portent.

   The warm evenings were a forerunner of summer.

3. a person who goes or is sent in advance to announce the coming of someone or something that follows; herald; harbinger.

4. the Forerunner, John the Baptist.

forerunner

/ ˈfɔːˌrʌnə /

noun

1. a person or thing that precedes another; precursor

2. a person or thing coming in advance to herald the arrival of someone or something; harbinger

3. an indication beforehand of something to follow; omen; portent

Word History and Origins

Origin of forerunner¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, forerunner is from the Middle English word forrenner. See fore-, runner

Example Sentences

His movie became the forerunner of “Silicon Valley,” which captured the tech industry’s evolution away from cubicle austerity into open floor plans, beanbag furniture and the idea of work becoming a second home.

Read more on Salon

Instead of being able to tout her country as a forerunner in research or practice, the anti-science resurgence has forced Botha to ask whether it is even safe to attend American conferences.

Read more on Salon

Where was the genius behind such classic sketches as “ball champions,” an early forerunner of “How To With John Wilson” and “I Think You Should Leave”?

Read more on New York Times

This technique, a forerunner to the new LLM compression approach, was published in 2023.

Read more on Science Daily

The flames would then be spread across the country for about 1,200 forerunners to relay.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• precursor