harbinger

noun

har·bin·ger | \ ˈhär-bən-jər

Definition of harbinger

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 archaic : a person sent ahead to provide lodgings

2a : one that initiates a major change : a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology : pioneer the great legal harbinger of the New Deal revolution— Time a harbinger of nanotechnology the harbingers of peace to a hitherto distracted … people— David Livingstone

b : something that foreshadows a future event : something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come robins, crocuses, and other harbingers of spring

harbinger

verb

harbingered; harbingering; harbingers

Definition of harbinger (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to give a warning or prediction of : to be a harbinger (see harbinger entry 1) of harbingered the fall of Rome

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about harbinger

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Choose the Right Synonym for harbinger

Noun

forerunner, precursor, harbinger, herald mean one that goes before or announces the coming of another. forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage. the blockade was the forerunner of war precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another. 18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event. their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season the herald of a new age in medicine

Did You Know?

Noun

When medieval travelers needed lodging for the night, they went looking for a harbinger. As long ago as the 12th century, "harbinger" was used to mean "one who provides lodging" or "a host," but that meaning is now obsolete. By the late 1300s, "harbinger" was also being used for a person sent ahead of a main party to seek lodgings, often for royalty or a campaigning army, but that old sense has largely been left in the past, too. Both of those historical senses are true to the Anglo-French parent of "harbinger," the word herberge, meaning "lodgings." The most common sense of the word nowadays, the "forerunner" sense, has been with us since the mid-1500s.

Examples of harbinger in a Sentence

Noun

her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come

Verb

the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Yet there is no sign of the livid clouds running up from the south-eastern horizon which serve as its evening harbingers, rising and roiling, filling the sky with their rumbling and the night with veiled lightning. — The Economist, "The South Asian monsoon, past, present and future," 27 June 2019 The episode’s last scene went like this: A secret society of apocalypse harbingers called the Circle of the Black Thorne opens the gateways to hell right into the streets of Los Angeles. — Ruth Kinane, EW.com, "Reunited Angel cast and creators discuss shocking 'cliffhanger' series finale," 21 June 2019 There will also be rollicking discussions about everything from emerging fascism to #BachelorNation — all of your favorite harbingers of the apocalypse in one lecture series. — Kt Hawbaker, chicagotribune.com, "'Gone Girl' author Gillian Flynn, documentarian Errol Morris, and Questlove to headline 'Graphic!' spring Humanities Fest," 22 Mar. 2018 But his decline is a harbinger of other payroll issues that the Red Sox will face in the years to come, and of the challenging path and dangers that lie ahead for his franchise. — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, "Dustin Pedroia and the start of a Red Sox era of risky business," 8 Aug. 2019 Industries feeling the pain While most of Oregon isn’t feeling the trade war yet, Ellis said the pain in Oregon’s agricultural sector could be a harbinger of future problems in other fields. — Mike Rogoway, oregonlive.com, "‘Warning signs’: Oregon industries’ anxiety grows over trade war with China," 27 July 2019 Get our daily newsletter Japan is a harbinger of changes to come elsewhere. — The Economist, "Japan’s pension problems are a harbinger of challenges elsewhere," 9 July 2019 Yet as Trump himself is keen to point out, his victory can be seen as a harbinger of a broader wave of nationalist populism around the world. — Adam Tooze, The New York Review of Books, "Democracy and Its Discontents," 6 June 2019 Many in the West have been alarmed by the enormous power Xi has accumulated, taking it as a harbinger of armed conflict. — Kishore Mahbubani, Harper's magazine, "What China Threat?," 10 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harbinger.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for harbinger

harbinger

noun

English Language Learners Definition of harbinger

: something that shows what is coming

See the full definition for harbinger in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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harbinger

Definition of harbinger

Synonyms for harbinger

Choose the Right Synonym for harbinger

Did You Know?

Examples of harbinger in a Sentence

First Known Use of harbinger

History and Etymology for harbinger

English Language Learners Definition of harbinger

harbinger

Definition of harbinger

Synonyms for harbinger

Choose the Right Synonym for harbinger

Did You Know?

Examples of harbinger in a Sentence

First Known Use of harbinger

History and Etymology for harbinger

English Language Learners Definition of harbinger

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