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as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word forerunner distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of forerunner are harbinger, herald, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

How do harbinger and herald relate to one another, in the sense of forerunner?

Harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season
the herald of a new age in medicine

When would precursor be a good substitute for forerunner?

The synonyms precursor and forerunner are sometimes interchangeable, but precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forerunner Another forerunner of today’s scene is Ansedonia, a hillside community of upscale homes near Capalbio that in the 1960s became popular with creative types from the Italian capital. Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025 The forerunner of today’s sleek MacBook laptops was the PowerBook. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 June 2025 Frederick Ashton’s for the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (the forerunner of the Royal Ballet) in 1952, with a resplendent Margot Fonteyn in the title role, put the ballet back into the mainstream repertory, though it wasn’t performed by the Royal from the mid-1960s to 2004. Roslyn Sulcas, New York Times, 30 May 2025 Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women. Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunner
Noun
  • Organizations can measure psychological safety data as a precursor to inclusion.
    Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Washington said the firms funneled money to Chinese firms that produce the precursors for fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that has stoked a drug epidemic in the US.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • The gift of 'The Mahabharata' that my ancestors gave me is truly the gift that keeps giving.
    Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
  • The same ancestor who founded this homestead left his own family behind in Georgia; that cold resolve is Hailey’s inheritance too.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • In 2012, the Wythe was a harbinger of things to come in Williamsburg.
    Katherine LaGrave, AFAR Media, 26 June 2025
  • Thus, the early activity in the Pacific isn't likely a harbinger of storms to come in the Atlantic.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
Noun
  • By 2019, his startup team had built a prototype and launched a DTC subscription model, pairing a predictable market with luxury branding.
    Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Seed funding from investors, accelerators, or venture funds helps founders take the first critical steps: building a prototype, hiring that first team member, or testing their idea in the real world.
    Rob Zielonka, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Once again the plot bent toward total transformations of the Republic, accompanied by the thrilling heralds of Trump’s imminent downfall.
    Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Brian Wilson’s death on Wednesday at the age of 82 heralds an end to one idea of Southern California — as the temperate paradise of ascendant Americana.
    August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
Noun
  • District administrators said the signs — including one displaying open hands of different skin tones — violated West Ada’s district policy.
    Emma Epperly, Idaho Statesman, 28 June 2025
  • Moon sign planting dates Above-ground crops: 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 27, 28, 31 Below-ground crops: 14, 15, 18, 19, 22, 23 Control weeds: 11, 12, 13, 20, 21 Prune trees and shrubs: 7, 8, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26 3.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • Following an appearance on the U.K. entrepreneur pitch show Dragons Den - modelled on Shark Tank - the company gained an angel investor (Stephen Bartlett) and a lot of publicity.
    Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Rob Reiner appears, as if from nowhere, as a heroic angel investor who seems heaven sent to help save the Bear.
    Marah Eakin, Vulture, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunner. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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