Thesaurus results for FOREKNOW

Q: How is the word 'foreknow' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of foreknow are anticipate , divine , and foresee . While all these words mean "to know beforehand," foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation. // if only we could foreknow our own destinies

Q: When might 'anticipate' be a better fit than 'foreknow'?

In some situations, the words anticipate and foreknow are roughly equivalent. However, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens. // the waiter anticipated our every need

Q: How are the words 'divine' and 'foresee' related as synonyms of 'foreknow'?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment. // was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

Q: In what contexts can 'foresee' take the place of 'foreknow'?

Although the words foresee and foreknow have much in common, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience. // economists should have foreseen the recession

foreknow

verb

(ˌ)fȯr-ˈnō

Definition of foreknow

as in to anticipate

to realize or know about beforehand what couple can possibly foreknow the trials and tribulations that marriage will bring?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foreknow different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of foreknow are anticipate, divine, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

When might anticipate be a better fit than foreknow?

In some situations, the words anticipate and foreknow are roughly equivalent. However, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related as synonyms of foreknow?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

In what contexts can foresee take the place of foreknow?

Although the words foresee and foreknow have much in common, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreknow

Verb

The Duo could also prove more accessible than some industry watchers had anticipated.

— MacKenzie Sigalos,Kif Leswing, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Some strategists, anticipating that the committee may raise flags, now try to get ahead of the process by submitting additional documentation, including filmmaker quotes and source materials, to explain why a film belongs in its intended category.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of anticipate

Verb

But getting swept off your feet by someone who’s effectively a nearly seven-foot tree is, of course, rarely foreseen.

— Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
But the Kuvshynovs and their legal team say what happened to their daughter was preventable — and foreseen.

— David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of foresee

Verb

Sullivan has evolved into the stardom predicted for him since his days kicking the ball around with his brothers inside and outside of his northeast Philadelphia home.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
The playoff projections are based on a Monte Carlo simulation, a computation of random sampling used to predict outcomes, of the 2026 season.

— Loren Maxwell, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of predict

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.

Browse Nearby Words

foreknew

foreknow

foreknowing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Foreknow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreknow. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of foreknow

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes