Synonyms of foreknow

foreknow

verb

(ˌ)fȯr-ˈnō 

as in to anticipate

to realize or know about beforehand

what couple can possibly foreknow the trials and tribulations that marriage will bring?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anticipate
• foresee
• predict
• divine
• prevision
• fear
• foretell
• prophesy
• prefigure
• prognosticate
• presage
• forefeel
• envision
• forecast
• perceive
• foreshadow
• envisage
• visualize
• dread
• forewarn
• augur
• caution
• preview
• alert
• foretoken
• apprehend
• discern
• descry

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foreknow different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of foreknow are anticipate, divine, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

When might anticipate be a better fit than foreknow?

In some situations, the words anticipate and foreknow are roughly equivalent. However, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related as synonyms of foreknow?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

In what contexts can foresee take the place of foreknow?

Although the words foresee and foreknow have much in common, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession