Presentiment
/ˌprɛz.ənˈtɪm.ənt/noun
A feeling that something is about to happen, especially something bad.
Did you know?Presentiment entered English through French and ultimately goes back to Latin roots meaning “to feel beforehand,” which is why it sounds almost like a psychic warning without requiring any magic at all.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praesentire
“to feel beforehand; to have a premonition”
Late Latin
Latin
praesentimentum
“a forefeeling or presentiment”
Middle French
French
présentiment
“a premonition; a feeling of what is about to happen”
16th-17th Century
English
presentiment
“a foreboding or anticipation of a future event, especially an unpleasant one”
Modern English
English
presentiment
“a feeling that something is about to happen, especially something bad”