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

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
  • The not unappealing gridded face is divided into much larger elements than Mies’ forerunner across the street.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • He is revered in the Christian church as the forerunner of Jesus.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of forerunner
Verb
  • Weeks before the election, the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC allied with House Speaker Mike Johnson, shifted resources away from Kean's race to other critical contests, foreshadowing the 7th District outcome.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Back in virtual Brooklyn, Friday sneaks into Jocasta’s loft to spy as Jocasta works through a heaping helping of foreshadowing about her phantom partner on the Nest nanobots.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of foreshadowing
Noun
  • These store openings follow two Simkhai pop-ups — at Galeries Lafayette in Paris and La Rinascente in Milan — that were precursors to Simkhai’s international push.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Fresh precursors can be pumped in through the veins, and one day they might be partly gathered from the environment.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of precursor
Verb
  • Some pundits are heralding the end of Nike’s chokehold on the athlete marketing space, while others predict a turn toward a more varied sector.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts say the student group and Vucic are polling closely, heralding a tight race and a referendum-like atmosphere.
    — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 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
  • Pollsters have been predicting some GOP losses and in late October, CBS News' polling suggested Republicans could be on track to lose control of the House.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Analysts warn that given the accelerating pace of technological disruption, ultra long maturities make predicting future operational stability and debt service capacity increasingly difficult, compounding risk evaluation challenges for investors.
    — , CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of predicting
Noun
  • Eager to interpret the gods’ will—surely, stones that trailed light must hold sacred portent—the Romans consulted the Sibylline Books.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Grâce à la merveilleuse découverte de la Science Chrétienne, nos prières pour le monde sont efficaces et portent leurs fruits.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of portent
Verb
  • Wells Fargo, Overweight, $650 Analyst Joe Quatrochi lowered his price target on shares to $650 from $700, implying 34% upside from Tuesday's close.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Trump was implying Ukraine was in a weak negotiating position and did not have the military resources to fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of implying

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Cite this Entry

“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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