Premonition
/ˌpriː.məˈnɪʃ.ən/noun
A feeling or warning that something is about to happen, especially something bad.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin roots meaning “to warn beforehand,” so the spooky vibe is built right into the etymology—long before modern psychology tried to explain it.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praemonitio
“a warning beforehand”
Late Latin
Latin
praemonitionem
“an act of forewarning”
Middle French
Old French
premonition
“a warning in advance”
16th Century
English
premonition
“an advance warning or forewarning”
Modern English
English
premonition
“a feeling that something, especially something bad, is about to happen”