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
Last week the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case Little vs. Hecox, which began in 2020 when Idaho became a forerunner for states with laws that ban trans athletes in women's and girls' sports.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
For some years, the Octagon was home to Ohio’s militia, a forerunner to today’s National Guard; during the summer, soldiers would erect tents and practice training exercises.
—Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
The cast features Anthony Coleman as the young Armstrong, Shanti Lowry as the prostitute, Jackie Earle Haley, as Judge Perry and Anthony Mackie as Buddy Bolden, who was Armstrong’s jazz forerunner.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
The killer is a man who, for all his delusions, pokes at the other men’s complacency and domesticity — making this thriller a forerunner of everything from Easy Rider to The Hitcher to Collateral.
20.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
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.
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
For some years, the Octagon was home to Ohio’s militia, a forerunner to today’s National Guard; during the summer, soldiers would erect tents and practice training exercises.
—Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
The cast features Anthony Coleman as the young Armstrong, Shanti Lowry as the prostitute, Jackie Earle Haley, as Judge Perry and Anthony Mackie as Buddy Bolden, who was Armstrong’s jazz forerunner.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
The killer is a man who, for all his delusions, pokes at the other men’s complacency and domesticity — making this thriller a forerunner of everything from Easy Rider to The Hitcher to Collateral.
20.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 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 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share