presentiment

foreboding; a vague expectation: I had a presentiment that there would be an accident.

Not to be confused with:

presentment – an act or manner of presenting; the act of presenting information: The principal made the presentment.

pre·sen·ti·ment

(prĭ-zĕn′tə-mənt)

A sense that something is about to occur; a premonition.

[Obsolete French, from presentir, to feel beforehand, from Latin praesentīre : prae-, pre- + sentīre, to feel; see sent- in Indo-European roots.]

pre·sen′ti·men′tal (-mĕn′tl) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

presentiment

(prɪˈzɛntɪmənt)

a sense of something about to happen; premonition

[C18: from obsolete French, from pressentir to sense beforehand; see pre-, sentiment]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pre•sen•ti•ment

(prɪˈzɛn tə mənt)

n.

a feeling that something is about to happen, esp. something evil; foreboding.

[1705–15; < French, now obsolete spelling of pressentiment. See pre-, sentiment]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

presentiment - a feeling of evil to come; "a steadily escalating sense of foreboding"; "the lawyer had a presentiment that the judge would dismiss the case"

boding, foreboding, premonition

apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread - fearful expectation or anticipation; "the student looked around the examination room with apprehension"

shadow - a premonition of something adverse; "a shadow over his happiness"

presage - a foreboding about what is about to happen

presentiment

noun premonition, feeling, expectation, anticipation, fear, forecast, hunch, intuition, apprehension, misgiving, foreboding, presage, forethought He had a presentiment of disaster.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

AhnimusAhnung

presentimento

presentiment

[prɪˈzentɪmənt] N → presentimiento m
to have a presentiment about sth → tener un presentimiento acerca de algo
to have a presentiment that → tener el presentimiento de que ..., presentir que ...

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

presentiment

n → (Vor)ahnung f, → Vorgefühl nt; to have a presentiment of something → eine Vorahnung von etw haben; to have a presentiment that … → das Gefühl haben, dass …

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

presentiment

[prɪˈzɛntɪmənt] n → presentimento

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

"I believe in every foolish presentiment that comes into my head."

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You have told me yourself, madame, that I have been drawn into a snare; I, perhaps, may leave my life in it--for, although it may be strange, I have for some time had a presentiment that I should shortly die." And the duke smiled, with a smile at once sad and charming.

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We've gone and lost your father's flat, Diana, and I have a presentiment that we'll not be allowed to row on the pond any more."

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We saw but one presentiment of the man-a quiet, patient, industrious and most gentlemanly person.

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The events of the previous evening had made me nervous and ill; I had tried to cure myself and attain to clear thinking by walking in the open air, but I was oppressed with a horrible presentiment of evil--a presentiment which I could not formulate.

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He seemed to be working in obedience to some particular presentiment. Nor did it remain unwarranted by the event.

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Trent was seldom sentimental, but from the first he had had an uneasy presentiment concerning this man who lay now within his power and so near to death.

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Micawber evidently had his presentiment on the subject too, but he put it in his tin pot and swallowed it.

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Fix, left alone, was more impatient than ever, having a presentiment that the robber was on board the Mongolia.

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Her presentiment at the time had not deceived her- that that state of freedom and readiness for any enjoyment would not return again.

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Last night, however, he had not left the chateau, his mind being disturbed by a presentiment that some new crime would be attempted.

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All night long the presentiment has pursued me--Frank and Richard Wardour will meet."