premonitory
UK[prɪˈmɒnɪt(ə)ri]US[prɪˈmɑːnɪtɔːri]
adj
Giving a warning or feeling that something, especially something unpleasant, is going to happen.
Morpheme Breakdown
pre
monitory
pre
before
monitory
warning
Etymology
The word 'premonitory' is built upon the Latin verb monēre, meaning "to warn, advise, or remind," which itself has deep Proto-Indo-European roots suggesting the act of bringing something to mind. The prefix prae- (before) was attached to create a sense of warning that occurs in advance. The adjective form evolved through Late Latin praemonitorius, literally meaning "giving warning beforehand." Thus, the modern term logically retains the core concept of a feeling or sign that serves as a forewarning of a future event, connecting the ancient idea of a mental alert with the temporal notion of precedence.
Analysis
Structure: pre (before) + monitory (warning)
- pre: A prefix of Latin origin (from Latin prae-), meaning "before" in terms of time, place, order, or importance.
- monitory: An adjective-forming element from Latin monitorius, meaning "warning" or "admonishing," derived from the verb monēre (to warn, advise).
Examples
She had a premonitory dream about the accident the night before it happened.
The sudden drop in barometric pressure was a premonitory sign of the approaching storm.
A premonitory sense of dread washed over him as he entered the empty house.