premonition

noun

pre·​mo·​ni·​tion ˌprē-mə-ˈni-shən  ˌpre- 

1

: previous notice or warning : forewarning

2

: anticipation of an event without conscious reason : presentiment

Synonyms

• feel
• presentiment
• fear
• foreboding
• suspicion
• worry
• presage

Examples of premonition in a Sentence

She had a premonition that he would call.

she had a premonition that her cat would somehow get hurt that day

Recent Examples on the Web

Jones had no premonition that football would stick. —Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

Each movie centered on a character who has a premonition of a horrific and deadly event. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025

The film series follows groups of people who escape their impending deaths after someone receives a premonition about their doom, saving them from their grisly fate. —Leia Mendoza, Variety, 25 July 2025

However, this wasn't an exact premonition of what would happen over the next 17 holes. —Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English premunition, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin premunition-, premunitio, alteration of Late Latin praemonitio, from Latin praemonēre to warn in advance, from prae- + monēre to warn — more at mind

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for premonition

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition

Kids Definition

premonition

noun

pre·​mo·​ni·​tion ˌprē-mə-ˈnish-ən  ˌprem-ə- 

: a feeling that something is going to happen

a premonition of disaster

premonitory

pri-ˈmän-ə-ˌtōr-ē

-ˌtȯr-

adjective