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

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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

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 prefiguring
Verb
On the city’s West Side, the site of storied clubs such as Silvio’s as well as the Maxwell Street Market, blues musicians developed a style of electric blues in the 1950s that typically included a horn section (prefiguring soul music). — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring
  1. forerunner
  2. foreshadowing
  3. precursor
  4. heralding
  5. presage
  6. predicting
  7. portent
  8. implying
Noun
  • Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of forerunner
Verb
  • As all of this finale drama is happening around him, Danny gets increasingly drunker, foreshadowing absolutely nothing good coming our way.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026
  • The regulatory move was seen as foreshadowing a wider approval for these types of products on equities.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 27 July 2026
Definition of foreshadowing
Noun
  • And their precursor is the legendary berry cake from Phoenix Bakery in Chinatown.
    — Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • This seems like a logical precursor to a fund of funds and/or exchange product that allows for more real-time trading, akin to ETFs on public markets.
    — Alexander S. Blume, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of precursor
Verb
  • Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch, bought Chelsea in 2003, heralding a new era of financialization and oligarchic control.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • Merck’s Lipfendra achieved similar results to injectable treatments, potentially heralding a new era of easier prevention for people wanting to bring down artery-clogging cholesterol.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 16 July 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
  • So reasoning traces, the very things that supposedly distinguish LRMs from the mere next-word-predicting LLMs, are not necessarily either meaningful or causal to a model’s … reasoning?
    — John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • Romo’s acumen for predicting game play drew notice almost immediately, and lent new polish to a broadcast that has been around since the days of Brent Musburger and Pat Summerall.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of predicting
Noun
  • Things are also tough for their friends, Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao), whose constant bickering seems to be an ominous portent for their on-again-off-again relationship.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The push for the category, which comes after Hot Ones earned Daytime Emmys noms in 2022 and 2023, carries symbolic portent, given the category’s housing of traditional late night; a nomination would truly signal a passing of the torch.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Definition of portent
Verb
  • In addition, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has repeatedly asserted that inflation needs to be lower to hit the FOMC’s targets, perhaps implying a need for higher interest rates to achieve that.
    — Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • In a July 15 note, Baird started its coverage with an outperform rating and $370 price target — implying 27% upside from Friday’s close.
    — Assiatou Hann, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Definition of implying

Browse Nearby Words

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prefiguring
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Cite this Entry

“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of prefiguring for Spanish Speakers

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