premonition

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "premonition" is correct and usable in written English.
It is a noun that means a feeling that something, especially something bad, is going to happen. You can use it when you want to refer to a feeling of foreboding or intuition. Example sentence: Rachel had a strong premonition that something bad was about to happen.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

This is a very Gelsey detail; it's as if, in all the sunny joy of the dance, she had an instant of foreboding, a premonition.

The Guardian

Does she believe in premonition?

The Guardian - Opinion

Among people who knew him, stories abound of his gifts of healing, premonition and wise counsel; the authorities were simply recognising something the faithful knew already.Especially in Christianity, then, recognising saints has always been a mixture of top-down and bottom-up.

The Economist

Unless Mr Cameron throws himself into the fray in the next few days, that premonition may turn out to be right.A rare appeal to the youth vote In Scotland Ms Sturgeon launched her party's "youth manifesto" with the help of Martin Compston, a Scottish actor who starred in Ken Loach's film "Sweet Sixteen".

The Economist

In too many tellings, the truce is hailed as something between a protest and a premonition: a declaration of shared humanity by ordinary soldiers, before heartless commanders sent them to their deaths.

The Economist

His enemies presumed it must have been some premonition of his fall.In 1867-68 Jean-Léon Gérôme produced his painting, "Bonaparte before the Sphinx" (below), heavy with historical echoes of hubris and its end.

The Economist

This is not a premonition of more terror, but part of a business plan.

The Economist

It may just be that everybody or a good many Americans, at least will soon get southern culture.This premonition is especially strong in Oxford, Mississippi, a pretty university town that was home to William Faulkner.

The Economist

An analysis by Frank Levy of the Urban League, who was no fan of Reagan, called the act "a one-in-a-thousand policy success".Reagan, in a premonition of his presidency, accomplished this by negotiating with Bob Moretti, the liberal and decidedly non-grumpy Democratic leader of the state assembly, forging a compromise that carried the day.

The Economist

In the past few days she has made unwise remarks about a dead guru giving her "divine premonition" of a new job.

The Economist

Coming just before the first world war, it contains, Ms Hodson says, "a sudden premonition of loss [that] darkens the last moments of the ballet...as though an illusory world was about to be shattered".

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "premonition" to add depth and tension to your writing when describing a character's intuitive sense of future events, especially negative ones. This can effectively build suspense and engage the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "premonition" interchangeably with "prediction". While both relate to future events, "premonition" is a subjective feeling or intuition, whereas "prediction" implies a more reasoned or evidence-based forecast.

Linguistic Context

The word "premonition" functions primarily as a noun, referring to a feeling or intuition about a future event. Ludwig AI validates this usage through numerous examples from various sources, confirming its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Encyclopedias

13%

Science

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "premonition" is a noun denoting a feeling or intuition about a future event, commonly associated with negative occurrences but applicable in positive contexts too. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent usage across diverse sources such as news media and encyclopedias, reflecting a neutral formality. To enrich your writing, use "premonition" to build suspense and describe a character's intuitive sense of future events. Avoid confusing "premonition" with "prediction"; the former relates to subjective feelings, whereas the latter concerns reasoned forecasts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

presentiment

A more formal synonym for "premonition", indicating a feeling that something is about to happen.

sense of foreboding

Similar to "premonition", this phrase highlights a feeling that something unfortunate or evil is going to occur.

ominous feeling

Focuses on the threatening or inauspicious nature of the feeling.

feeling of impending doom

This alternative emphasizes the negative aspect of a premonition, focusing on a sense of something bad about to happen.

forewarning

This emphasizes the aspect of being warned in advance about a future event.

intuitive feeling

This alternative focuses on the instinctive nature of a premonition, suggesting a feeling that arises without conscious reasoning.

strong intuition

Highlights the powerful, instinctive understanding that something will occur.

gut feeling

This is a more informal way to describe a premonition, emphasizing the visceral and instinctive nature of the feeling.

inkling

This suggests a vague or slight premonition, an uncertain hint of something to come.

prophetic vision

This alternative implies a more profound and possibly supernatural insight into the future.

FAQs

How can I use "premonition" in a sentence?

You can use "premonition" to describe a feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant. For example, "She had a "premonition" of danger before entering the dark forest".

What's a more formal synonym for "premonition"?

A more formal synonym for "premonition" is "presentiment", which also conveys a feeling that something is about to happen.

Is "premonition" always about negative events?

While often associated with negative events, "premonition" can also refer to a strong intuition about something positive. However, its usage is more common in contexts involving a sense of foreboding. In some cases, "intuition" might be a better alternative in positive contexts.

What is the difference between "premonition" and "intuition"?

"Premonition" specifically implies a feeling about a future event, whereas "intuition" is a broader term for understanding something instinctively, without conscious reasoning. A "premonition" is a type of "intuition" focused on the future.