premonition

/prɛməˈnɪʃɪn/

/prɛməˈnɪʃən/

Other forms: premonitions

A premonition is a strong feeling or sense of foreboding that something is about to happen — such as an eerie feeling on a seemingly calm day that a storm is coming.

The noun premonition literally means "an advance warning," derived from the Latin prefix prae-, meaning "before" or "in advance," and the Latin verb monere, "to warn or advise." However, a premonition is not a literal advance warning, like a letter in the mail that says, "Don't come visit next week because the electricity will be out," or a sign on a path that says, "Warning! Danger! Keep out!" It's more of a feeling, a hunch, or perhaps a dream, that signals a future event.

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