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Presentiment: meaning, definitions and examples

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presentiment

 

[ prɪˈzɛntɪmənt ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

feeling

A presentiment is a feeling or belief that something is going to happen, especially something unpleasant, before it actually does. It is often based on intuition or gut instinct.

Synonyms

foreboding, intuition, premonition

Examples of usage

  • I had a presentiment that something bad was going to happen.
  • She couldn't shake off the presentiment of impending doom.
  • His presentiment turned out to be true when the accident occurred.
  • The presentiment of danger lingered in the air.
  • Despite no evidence, she couldn't ignore the presentiment.

Translations

Translations of the word "presentiment" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pressentimento

🇮🇳 पूर्वाभास

🇩🇪 Vorahnung

🇮🇩 firasat

🇺🇦 передчуття

🇵🇱 przeczucie

🇯🇵 予感 (yokan)

🇫🇷 pressentiment

🇪🇸 presentimiento

🇹🇷 önsezi

🇰🇷 예감 (yegam)

🇸🇦 شعور مسبق

🇨🇿 předtucha

🇸🇰 predtucha

🇨🇳 预感 (yùgǎn)

🇸🇮 slutnja

🇮🇸 forspá

🇰🇿 алдын ала сезу

🇬🇪 წინათგრძნობა (ts'inatgrznoba)

🇦🇿 öncəgörmə

🇲🇽 presentimiento

Etymology

The word presentiment originated in the late 18th century from the French word ‘présentiment’, which means a foreboding or presentiment. It is derived from the Latin word ‘praesentimentum’, which combines ‘prae-‘ (before) and ‘sentire’ (to feel). The concept of presentiments has been present in various cultures throughout history, often associated with superstitions and beliefs in premonitions.

See also: sentiment, sentimental, sentimentalism, sentimentalist, sentimentality, sentimentally, sentiments, unsentimental.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #25,658, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.