prefiguring 1 of 2

noun

as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event the preaching of John the Baptist is generally regarded by Christians as a prefiguring of the ministry of Jesus

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

prefiguring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prefigure
as in foreshadowing
to give a slight indication of beforehand the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring
  1. forerunner
  2. foreshadowing
  3. precursor
  4. heralding
  5. presage
  6. predicting
  7. portent
  8. implying
Noun
  • The city had a history of assimilating such yearners, most notably Madonna, Swift’s forerunner and her own Middle American transplant success story.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 June 2026
Definition of forerunner
Verb
  • In retrospect, this sounds like foreshadowing … or at least a good omen.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Moore’s wartime Shelter Drawings depict families sheltering in the London Underground during air raids, while foreshadowing the abstract, organic forms of his later sculpture.
    — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of foreshadowing
Noun
  • Proxima is developing stellarator technology, one of a handful of approaches to fusion, and hopes to have its fusion demonstrator — a proof-of-concept precursor to a commercial power plant — up and running in the early 2030s.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • Serotonin is a precursor for melatonin, a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycleSince.
    — Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 July 2026
Definition of precursor
Verb
  • By summer 1781, the states had ratified the Articles of Confederation, heralding the new federal government but making no provisions to abolish slavery.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 22 June 2026
  • There has been an outpouring of support on social media for those who stopped to help, heralding their bravery and selflessness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 June 2026
Definition of heralding
Noun
  • Sometimes, the departure of an underperforming executive or official presages improvements ahead.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
  • But a lack of accountability presages failure for California’s big reform.
    — Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of presage
Verb
  • Many climate scientists are predicting that 2027 — because of pent up heat — will break the 2024 global high temperature record set by the last strong El Nino.
    — Seth Borenstein, Fortune, 9 July 2026
  • This independence from linear order is incompatible with an LLM’s fundamental purpose of predicting the next value in a linear sequence.
    — Benjamin Skuse, IEEE Spectrum, 9 July 2026
Definition of predicting
Noun
  • Always alert to mood swings, Hollywood this week is coping with some dauntingly positive portents.
    — Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 June 2026
  • But there is reason for hope, because the season-one finale of Widow’s Bay is like a beacon in the dark, and all the signs and portents are lining up.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Definition of portent
Verb
  • France is a hefty -355 favorite at DraftKings to advance to the semifinals, implying a 78% probability.
    — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026
  • Wells Fargo analysts started coverage of AT & T with a sell rating and price target of $18, implying nearly 15% downside.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Definition of implying
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of prefiguring for Spanish Speakers

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