presage

[pres-ij, pres-ij, pri-seyj]

noun

1. a presentiment or foreboding.

   Synonyms: premonition, indication

2. something that portends or foreshadows a future event; an omen, prognostic, or warning indication.

   Synonyms: token, sign, portent

3. prophetic significance; augury.

4. foresight; prescience.

5. Archaic.,  a forecast or prediction.

verb (used with object)

presaged, presaging 

1. to have a presentiment of.

2. to portend, foreshow, or foreshadow.

   The incidents may presage war.

3. to forecast; predict.

verb (used without object)

presaged, presaging 

1. to make a prediction.

2. Archaic.,  to have a presentiment.

presage

noun

1. an intimation or warning of something about to happen; portent; omen

2. a sense of what is about to happen; foreboding

3. archaic,  a forecast or prediction

verb

1. (tr) to have a presentiment of

2. (tr) to give a forewarning of; portend

3. (intr) to make a prediction

Other Word Forms

• presageful adjective
• presagefully adverb
• presager noun
• unpresaged adjective
• unpresaging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of presage¹

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) < Middle French presage < Latin praesāgium presentiment, forewarning, equivalent to praesāg ( us ) having a foreboding ( prae- pre- + sāgus prophetic; sagacious ) + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of presage¹

C14: from Latin praesāgium presentiment, from praesāgīre to perceive beforehand, from sāgīre to perceive acutely

Example Sentences

The bust would presage the dissolution of Wings; McCartney would release a solo album, “McCartney II,” in May.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The divergence does, however, presage what may happen when the military awards its contracts.

Read more on Barron's

Hamilton’s warnings about democracy and capitalism presaged a debate that continues to this day: Are the two in conflict, or do capitalism and democracy mutually reinforce one another?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Now, though, an executive order signed by President Trump could presage legal challenges of pioneering California laws that overhauled school discipline by banning willful defiance suspensions for K-12 students.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The apocalyptic imagination, he argued, imposes on history “neat, naïve patterns” presaging a turning point in the grand scheme of humanity.

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Related Words

• augur 
• forebode 
• foresee 
• foreshadow 
• foretell 
• portend 
• signify