harbinger
Americannoun
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a person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald.
-
anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign.
Frost is a harbinger of winter.
- Synonyms:
- indication, portent, precursor, forerunner, herald
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a person sent in advance of troops, a royal train, etc., to provide or secure lodgings and other accommodations.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a person or thing that announces or indicates the approach of something; forerunner
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obsolete a person sent in advance of a royal party or army to obtain lodgings for them
verb
Usage
What does harbinger mean? Harbinger most commonly means an omen or a sign of something to come. Harbinger can also mean a person sent ahead to make people aware that someone else is coming (such as a king) or to make preparations (such as for an army), but these meanings are much less common. Harbinger can also be used as a verb meaning to act as a sign or omen. Example: These flowers are always the first to bloom, so people consider them harbingers of spring.
Etymology
Origin of harbinger
First recorded in 1125–75; late Middle English herbenger, nasalized variant of Middle English herbegere, dissimilated variant of Old French herberg(i)ere “host,” equivalent to herberg(ier) “to shelter” (from Germanic; see harbor) + -iere -er 2
Explanation
A harbinger is something that comes before and that shows what will follow in the future. The robin is a harbinger of spring — its presence means spring is coming soon. The appearance of a ghost is often thought of as a harbinger of death. Middle English herbergere is from Old French herbergeor, "host," from herberge, "camp, shelter," a word ultimately borrowed from a Germanic language.
Vocabulary lists containing harbinger
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Harbinger said it has raised $358 million since it was founded in 2021, including the latest round.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025
The sponsorship document was put together by the aptly named events production company Harbinger.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025
Stoute was known for his patience with horses and trained numerous champions including Harbinger, Shareef Dancer, Singspiel and Pilsudski.
From BBC • Sep. 10, 2024
In 2008, the hedge funds Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Partners told the company they intended to nominate four independent directors to the publisher’s board.
From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2022
A few months later, he’d pitch his idea to Phil Falcone, who ran a giant hedge fund called Harbinger Capital.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
