Military. a network of radar installations designed to detect enemy aircraft or missiles in time for the effective deployment of defense systems.
any series of steps established to spot potential problems.
a network of radar and communications units intended to detect at the earliest possible moment an attack by enemy aircraft or missiles
anything that gives advance notice of something
First recorded in 1945–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rinz’s research points to an early-warning system that may flag trouble ahead.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
The earthquake early-warning system has become more popular in recent years as people get more accustomed to the alerts.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2024
Additionally, the model can also predict other soil conditions in real-time and function as an early-warning system to identify potential hazards.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2024
What’s more, an over-the-horizon early-warning system the Soviet Union built in Ukraine in 1976 had been shuttered by the end of the Cold War.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 17, 2023
You crackled when you neared his desk—his early-warning system.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
