portent

noun

por·​tent ˈpȯr-ˌtent How to pronounce portent (audio)
1
: something that foreshadows a coming event : omen, sign
2
: prophetic indication or significance
3

Examples of portent in a Sentence

a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
Recent Examples on the Web The attack would not be a one-off event, but a portent of what’s to come. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2024 Many pointed with concern to the company's decision to prioritize small business customers requiring Pi boards for their businesses as a portent of what investors might prioritize. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2024 Still, some will read portents into the S&P 500's 1.7% fall so far this year. Heard Editors, WSJ, 5 Jan. 2024 The comment amounted to a portent of the difficulties Mr. Attal is likely to face in the 577-seat Assembly, where Mr. Macron’s Renaissance Party and its allies do not hold an absolute majority. Roger Cohen, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2024 That grim demonstration against Kissinger, in other words, seems to have been the portent of a two-front culture war—for the land, but also for the state apparatus—which has yet to be decided. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 But awards season obsessives still look to the annual boozy affair for portents of what may (or may not) be ahead at the Oscars. Nate Jones, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2024 But the problem had become undeniable, adoption of facial recognition software was on the rise, and Donald Trump had just become president, issuing to many a grim portent of the potential abuses of such power. Brian Merchant, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023 One of the things that’s obvious immediately is just how international Fluxus was — a portent of today’s much more global art world. Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'portent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin portentum, from neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of portent was in 1562

Dictionary Entries Near portent

Cite this Entry

“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portent. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

portent

noun
por·​tent ˈpȯ(ə)r-ˌtent How to pronounce portent (audio)
ˈpō(ə)r-
: a sign or warning of a coming event : omen

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