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
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
Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.
—
Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.
—David Krumboltz, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025
While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
The New York Dolls were forerunners of punk, and the band's style -- teased hair, women's clothes and lots of makeup -- inspired the glam movement that took up residence in heavy metal a decade later in bands like Faster Pussycat and Mötley Crüe.
—Mark Kennedy The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
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Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.
—David Krumboltz, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025
While his Late Night forerunner Letterman was probably the comedic polestar of Generation X—gruff, cynical, and biting the hand that fed—O’Brien became a bedrock influence for the next generation of Millennial comics.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
The New York Dolls were forerunners of punk, and the band's style -- teased hair, women's clothes and lots of makeup -- inspired the glam movement that took up residence in heavy metal a decade later in bands like Faster Pussycat and Mötley Crüe.
—Mark Kennedy The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Cite this Entry
“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forerunner. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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