noun
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a sign or indication of a future event, esp a momentous or calamitous one; omen
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momentous or ominous significance
a cry of dire portent
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a miraculous occurrence; marvel
Synonym Usage
See sign.
Etymology
Origin of portent
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin portentum “sign, token,” noun use of neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere “to signify, presage, portend”; see portend
Explanation
While you might love crows, your father will shudder when he sees them if he superstitiously believes they're a portent — a sign or warning — of death. A portent is an omen of something momentous, which can be good, but is more often negative. You can use portent to mean a magical foretelling or symbol, but you can also use it to talk about something real, the way you could describe big, dark storm clouds as a portent of a thunderstorm.
Vocabulary lists containing portent
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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.
In a portent of current events, he thought foreign trade could be used for domestic purposes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
That usually unremarkable occurrence proved to be a portent for the exhibition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
Disney’s chairman recently revealed that D’Amaro was involved with December’s controversial OpenAI character-licensing deal, a grim portent for his future as entertainment boss.
From Slate ● Feb. 4, 2026
Ged doled their food out sparingly, and the portent of this was plain, but both of them chewed their bit of salt fish and wheaten cake, and neither said anything.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
