forethought

1 of 2

noun

fore·​thought ˈfȯr-ˌthȯt 

1

: a thinking or planning out in advance : premeditation

2

: consideration for the future

forethought

2 of 2

adjective

archaic

: aforethought

Synonyms

Noun

• farsightedness
• foresight
• foresightedness
• prescience
• providence
• vision

Examples of forethought in a Sentence

Noun

Her decision showed a lack of forethought.

With a little forethought, you can save yourself a lot of work later on.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ordering appropriate foods on a plane requires some forethought and planning, according to Jamila Musayeva, a U.S.-educated etiquette coach now living in Baku, Azerbaijan. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Her business sense and forethought guaranteed that she be paid all the money negotiated in her two-year contract, but the show was cancelled in its first season. —Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Wolfe says the music organically developed without much forethought or conscious effort. —David Chiu, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

As with everything in Los Angeles timing a visit around the traffic takes finesse and forethought, but Post-Fair was a welcome addition to the week and an excellent reason to stay in Santa Monica for another couple of hours. —Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for forethought

• aeronaut
• aforethought
• afterthought
• apricot
• argonaut
• astronaut
• camelot
• coffeepot
• concordat
• cosmonaut
• entrepot
• flowerpot

Kids Definition

forethought

noun

fore·​thought

ˈfō(ə)r-ˌthȯt,

ˈfȯ(ə)r-

: thought or care taken in advance

forethoughtful

-fəl

adjective