forerunner
noun
fore·run·ner
ˈfȯr-ˌrə-nər 
1
: one that precedes and indicates the approach of another: such as
a
: a premonitory sign or symptom
b
: a skier who runs the course before the start of a race
2
Synonyms
Examples of forerunner in a Sentence
a simple machine that was the forerunner of today's computers
I had that strange feeling that's the forerunner of a cold.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jonas, in addition to her innovations in video, is now considered to be among the forerunners of artists training the full force of their creative powers on the climate crisis.
—
Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Though the apparatus wasn’t widely available, this display represented a forerunner to real-time game updates on sports websites.
—Frederic J. Frommer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
So did the Five-Star Camp, a forerunner to today’s summer circuits sponsored by shoe companies that was run by a New Yorker named Howard Garfinkel.
—Billy Witz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Over 1,400 soldiers will take part in the review, which is a forerunner to the Trooping the Colour parade that takes place the following weekend.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024
Starting in 1710, a copy of every book published in the United Kingdom was deposited in its copyright libraries, initially the King’s Library (the forerunner to the British Library) and at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2023
And yet, young women born into this world of relative freedom still inherit some of the same social conditioning as their forerunners.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
Policymakers and industry leaders can work together to find the right guardrails for blockchain networks, just as their forerunners did for limited liability corporations.
—Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024
One point of reference was just down the road at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and its in-house Alto computer network, forerunners of the desktop.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Though the apparatus wasn’t widely available, this display represented a forerunner to real-time game updates on sports websites.
—Frederic J. Frommer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
So did the Five-Star Camp, a forerunner to today’s summer circuits sponsored by shoe companies that was run by a New Yorker named Howard Garfinkel.
—Billy Witz, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Over 1,400 soldiers will take part in the review, which is a forerunner to the Trooping the Colour parade that takes place the following weekend.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024
Starting in 1710, a copy of every book published in the United Kingdom was deposited in its copyright libraries, initially the King’s Library (the forerunner to the British Library) and at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2023
And yet, young women born into this world of relative freedom still inherit some of the same social conditioning as their forerunners.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024
Policymakers and industry leaders can work together to find the right guardrails for blockchain networks, just as their forerunners did for limited liability corporations.
—Chris Dixon, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024
One point of reference was just down the road at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and its in-house Alto computer network, forerunners of the desktop.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forerunner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near forerunner
Cite this Entry
“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forerunner. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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