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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.

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Word Description / Examples
presentiment

Similar to the first entry, it is used for a general sense that something is about to occur, often without any logical basis.

  • She couldn’t shake the presentiment that she was being watched
  • This morning, John had a presentiment that the day would bring some surprises
premonition

Describes a strong feeling or vision that something specific, often unfavorable, is going to happen. It usually implies a somewhat prophetic quality.

  • She had a premonition of the car accident before it happened
  • His premonition about the business failing came true
foreboding

Often used in situations that involve a strong sense of impending doom or something bad occurring. It tends to have a negative connotation.

  • As she walked through the dark alley, she felt a sense of foreboding
  • The silence in the house gave him a feeling of foreboding
intuition

Used to describe a person’s ability to understand or know something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Not necessarily related to future events.

  • Her intuition told her that something was wrong
  • He trusted his intuition and decided not to take the job

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.