presage

[n. pres-ij; v. pres-ij, pri-seyj] /n. ˈprɛs ɪdʒ; v. ˈprɛs ɪdʒ, prɪˈseɪdʒ/
noun
1.
a presentiment or foreboding.
2.
something that portends or foreshadows a future event; an omen, prognostic, or warning indication.
3.
prophetic significance; augury.
4.
foresight; prescience.
5.
Archaic. a forecast or prediction.
verb (used with object), presaged, presaging.
6.
to have a presentiment of.
7.
to portend, foreshow, or foreshadow:
The incidents may presage war.
8.
to forecast; predict.
verb (used without object), presaged, presaging.
9.
to make a prediction.
10.
Archaic. to have a presentiment.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English (noun) < Middle French presage < Latin praesāgium presentiment, forewarning, equivalent to praesāg(us) having a foreboding (prae- pre- + sāgus prophetic; cf. sagacious) + -ium -ium
Related forms
presageful, adjective
presagefully, adverb
presager, noun
unpresaged, adjective
unpresaging, adjective
Synonyms
1. foreshadowing, indication, premonition. 2. portent, sign, token.
Examples from the web for presage
  • The transaction is the largest buyout in the for-profit education sector and could presage a wave of similar deals.
  • Whatever the amount, the case might presage major changes in the way college athletes are treated.
  • The dictator's funeral may presage political change.
  • Some of the quiet types could presage devastating tsunamis or larger, ground-shaking shocks.
  • The market meltdown does not presage another depression.
  • Rapid growth in money and credit may also presage inflationary trouble.
  • Some of the quiet types could presage devastating tsunamis or larger, ground-shaking shock.
  • And it may presage the entrance of other state pension funds into this arena.
  • On past form the slowdown seemed likely to presage a long slump.
  • But they might presage crises more reliably than a focus on the short term.
British Dictionary definitions for presage

presage

noun (ˈprɛsɪdʒ)
1.
an intimation or warning of something about to happen; portent; omen
2.
a sense of what is about to happen; foreboding
3.
(archaic) a forecast or prediction
verb (ˈprɛsɪdʒ; prɪˈseɪdʒ)
4.
(transitive) to have a presentiment of
5.
(transitive) to give a forewarning of; portend
6.
(intransitive) to make a prediction
Derived Forms
presageful, adjective
presagefully, adverb
presager, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin praesāgium presentiment, from praesāgīre to perceive beforehand, from sāgīre to perceive acutely
Word Origin and History for presage
n.

late 14c., "something that portends," from Latin praesagium "a foreboding," from praesagire "to perceive beforehand, forebode," from praesagus (adj.) "perceiving beforehand, prophetic," from prae "before" (see pre-) + sagus "prophetic," related to sagire "perceive" (see sagacious).

v.

1560s, from Middle French présager (16c.), from présage "omen," from Latin praesagium (see presage (n.)). Related: Presaged; presaging.