What does presentiment mean?
A presentiment is an intuitive sense that something is about to happen, especially something unwelcome. It differs from a prediction because it is not based on calculation, evidence, or explicit reasoning; it is a feeling that may seem to anticipate an event before it occurs. The word has a strongly literary and ominous tone, often suggesting danger, disaster, or misfortune, though it can also be used more neutrally for an unexplained anticipation. In conversation, people are more likely to say that they had a “feeling” or a “premonition” than that they had a presentiment. Its usefulness lies in capturing the human experience of anticipating an outcome through instinct rather than knowledge: a quiet foreboding that something important, and perhaps troubling, lies ahead.
nounA feeling or intuitive sense that something is about to happen, especially when it is regarded as ominous or unwelcome.
- A presentiment is a feeling or intuitive sense that an event is about to occur, especially when it is feared or viewed as ominous.
- In literary and formal usage, a presentiment can also refer more broadly to an anticipatory intuition of an unspecified event.
"A presentiment of danger made her hesitate at the door."
"He had a presentiment that the journey would end badly."
"The old castle had long been associated with a presentiment of misfortune."
The plural is standard but uncommon; the word is often used in the singular or in the plural with a or the.
"She was haunted by presentiments of the fate that awaited her."
Sometimes called a “feeling in the bones,” a presentiment is an intuition that arrives before the mind can explain it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does presentiment come from?
The word comes through French from the Latin presentimentum, a noun formed from praesentire, meaning “to feel beforehand.” The Latin verb combined prae-, meaning “before,” with sentire, “to feel” or “to perceive.” Presentiment developed in English as a formal term for an anticipatory feeling, especially one associated with impending misfortune.
How presentiment is actually used
The word is literary and somewhat formal, with a strong association with foreboding. In everyday speech, “premonition,” “hunch,” or “feeling” are more common.