1
as in precursor
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
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
The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.
—
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
The primacy of a central meeting space can be traced to the Greek Empire with the agora, among other forerunners.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
John DeWitt, the four-star general who oversaw the internment program, in particular, seems to be a forerunner to some of America's worst errors, paranoia, sins.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
The primacy of a central meeting space can be traced to the Greek Empire with the agora, among other forerunners.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
John DeWitt, the four-star general who oversaw the internment program, in particular, seems to be a forerunner to some of America's worst errors, paranoia, sins.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunner
Noun
-
Alessandro Michele, at Valentino, was also thinking of how to collide reality and fantasy, staging his collection in nooks inspired by the kaiser panorama, an early 20th century precursor to cinema, in which viewers sat around a circle, staring into a contraption displaying slides.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Passionate about utopian socialism and architecture, Gaudí’s forms and shapes were totally fresh, otherworldly and are sometimes referred to as a precursor of the Surrealist movement, of which Salvador Dalí was a key proponent.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s an urge to reconnect with our heritage, and people are undertaking ancestry pilgrimages, combining boots-on-the-ground investigation into family trees and searching for documents in town halls, with discovering the places our ancestors used to call home.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
So much of these online spaces, social media in particular, are created for community; inside of them, the primary medium is storytelling, and often the same stories are repeated or mimicked, recreating the oral storytelling tradition of our ancestors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In retrospect, maybe that should’ve been viewed less as a rallying cry and more of a harbinger of what was to come in his first calendar year.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The move broke a string of three straight cuts and could be a harbinger of a central bank not of a mind to ease again anytime soon.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to Severin Stadler, Head of R&D at Magna, the simulator enables chassis and tyre tuning long before prototypes exist.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Launched at the Expo 2025 Osaka last year, what seemed like a pipe dream destined for a 2050 debut, is now expected to have a prototype ready decades ahead of schedule—with the first edition to launch in just four years.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
New studies, however, clearly show that medical marijuana is not nearly as effective as the pro-marijuana lobby heralds.—
Mike Gimbel,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Looking for bathroom storage ideas to herald in a loo refresh?—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But absent any concerning signs that the labor market is falling a cliff, the Fed will also likely turn to inflation data for the cue on when to lower rates again.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Neither was there an army ready to defend Rapa Nui—crowds wielding spears and clubs were not uncommon in the Pacific—or any sign of violence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The company’s pre-seed round is backed by Nuwa Capital, Suhail Ventures, Plus VC, OQAL Angel Syndicate and a number of strategic angel investors.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and to recognize what’s happening.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunner. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
