forerunner

UK: /ˈfɔː^rrʌnə^r/

US: /ˈfɔrˌrʌnɚ, fɔrˈrʌnɚ/

US: (fôr′run′ər, fōr′-, fôr run′ər, fōr-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

fore•run•ner /ˈfɔrˌrʌnɚ, fɔrˈrʌnɚ/   n. [countable]

1. person or thing that is similar to something that comes or happens after.
2. a person or thing that is an omen, sign, or indication of something to follow;
   portent.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

fore•run•ner  (fôr′run′ər, fōr′-, fôr run′ər, fōr-), n. 

1. predecessor;
   ancestor;
   forebear;
   precursor.
2. an omen, sign, or indication of something to follow;
   portent:
   The warm evenings were a forerunner of summer.
3. a person who goes or is sent in advance to announce the coming of someone or something that follows;
   herald;
   harbinger.
4. Bible the Forerunner, John the Baptist.

• Middle English forrenner. See fore-, runner 1250–1300

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

forerunner / ˈfɔːˌrʌnə/ noun

1. a person or thing that precedes another; precursor
2. a person or thing coming in advance to herald the arrival of someone or something; harbinger
3. an indication beforehand of something to follow; omen; portent