premonition

/prɛməˈnɪʃɪn/

/prɛməˈnɪʃən/

Other forms: premonitions

Some people claim to have premonitions, such as a dream about a friend they haven't seen in years the night before the friend dies. A premonition is a warning that comes in advance, or a feeling that something is going to happen.

Like the synonym foreboding, a premonition usually refers to something bad or harmful. This noun is from Middle French premonicion, from Late Latin praemonitio, from Latin praemonere "to warn in advance," from the prefix prae- "before" plus monere "to warn."

Definitions of premonition

1. noun

   an early warning about a future event
   synonyms: forewarning

   type of:

   warning

   a message informing of danger
2. noun

   a feeling of evil to come
   synonyms: boding, foreboding, presentiment

   types:

   shadow

   a premonition of something adverse

   presage

   a foreboding about what is about to happen

   type of:

   apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread

   fearful expectation or anticipation