herald

[her-uhld]

noun

1. (formerly) a royal or official messenger, especially one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.

2. a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger.

   the returning swallows, those heralds of spring.

3. a person or thing that proclaims or announces.

   A good newspaper should be a herald of truth.

4. (in the Middle Ages) an officer who arranged tournaments and other functions, announced challenges, marshaled combatants, etc., and who was later employed also to arrange processions, funerals, etc., and to regulate the use of armorial bearings.

5. an official intermediate in rank between a king-of-arms and a pursuivant, in the Heralds' College in England or the Heralds' Office in Scotland.

verb (used with object)

1. to give news or tidings of; announce; proclaim.

   a publicity campaign to herald a new film.

2. to indicate or signal the coming of; usher in.

   Synonyms: tout, ballyhoo, publicize

herald

/ ˈhɛrəld /

noun

1. 1. a person who announces important news

   2. ( as modifier )

      herald angels

2. literary,  a forerunner; harbinger

3. the intermediate rank of heraldic officer, between king-of-arms and pursuivant

4. (in the Middle Ages) an official at a tournament

verb

1. to announce publicly

2. to precede or usher in

Word History and Origins

Origin of herald¹

1300–50; Middle English herau ( l ) d < Old French herau ( l ) t < Frankish *heriwald, equivalent to *heri army + *wald commander ( wield ). Compare name Harold

Word History and Origins

Origin of herald¹

C14: from Old French herault, of Germanic origin; compare Old English here war; see _wield

Example Sentences

Their front office is helmed by president of baseball operations David Stearns, one of the most heralded executives in the sport.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

He joined the Blue Jays organization as a 16-year-old and quickly became the most heralded prospect in the entire sport.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The yen has tumbled to its weakest levels against the dollar since February, on diminished prospects for a Bank of Japan rate increase after the weekend heralded a more dovish government.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Indeed, “True Colors” heralded Lauper’s decades of work as an activist fighting homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth and combating efforts to restrict women’s reproductive rights.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It only became an offence the year they met, when domestic abuse charities heralded the passing of the Serious Crime Act 2015 as a "landmark moment".

Read more on BBC