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Premonition in a Sentence: Meaning & Examples

    A thoughtful traveler pauses at a quiet train platform as evening light casts an uncertain mood.

    Premonition in a Sentence: Meaning and Examples

    A premonition is a feeling that something is going to happen, often something unpleasant. In a sentence, the noun commonly follows “have” and takes either a that-clause or an of-phrase: “She had a premonition that the meeting would go badly.”

    Key facts at a glance

    • Premonition is a countable noun meaning a feeling that something may happen in the future.
    • The common patterns are “have a premonition that…” and “have a premonition of…”
    • The word often has an uneasy or ominous tone, but the sentence supplies the context.
    • A premonition describes a feeling; it does not by itself prove that the anticipated event will occur.
    • Premonitory is the related adjective, as in “a premonitory warning.”

    What does premonition mean?

    A premonition is an inward feeling or presentiment about a future event, especially an unwelcome one. Cambridge Dictionary marks the word as a countable noun and gives the pattern “a premonition that” followed by a clause. It can describe a character’s instinct in fiction or someone’s subjective feeling in everyday conversation.

    The noun names the experience, not the evidence behind it. “I had a premonition that the bridge would close” reports a feeling; “I expected the bridge to close because inspectors had posted a notice” gives a reasoned expectation. Use the second kind of wording when the point is a forecast based on facts.

    How do you use premonition in a sentence?

    Use have a premonition that before a complete clause, or have a premonition of before a noun or noun phrase. The phrase a premonition about also works when the topic matters more than the expected event.

    Pattern Example What follows
    have a premonition that Rina had a premonition that the lights would fail. A subject and verb clause
    have a premonition of They had a premonition of trouble. A noun or noun phrase
    a premonition about He described a premonition about the final result. The topic being anticipated
    premonitions of The novel follows her premonitions of danger. The plural noun plus of-phrase

    Because premonition is countable, write a premonition or the premonition for one feeling, and premonitions for more than one. In formal prose, avoid treating it as a synonym for confirmed knowledge of the future.

    A person looks out a rain-streaked window while an approaching storm darkens the distant sky.
    Sentence context can make a premonition sound uneasy or reflective.

    Premonition in a sentence: examples by context

    These examples show the noun in narrative, conversational, and explanatory contexts. The first four use a that-clause; the rest use an of-phrase or a plural form.

    1. Before the interview, Nia had a premonition that the first question would be about her work sample.
    2. The captain had a premonition that the fog would delay the ferry, so she checked the harbor update.
    3. He could not explain his premonition that the old elevator would stop between floors.
    4. My premonition that we had taken the wrong trail proved to be a useful prompt to check the map.
    5. A premonition of rain sent the picnic guests toward the pavilion.
    6. The story opens with a child’s premonition of danger in the empty house.
    7. Her sudden premonition about the result made her reread the final page.
    8. The novel uses recurring premonitions of loss to build suspense.
    9. Calling it a premonition tells readers how the character felt, not whether the feeling was accurate.
    10. He treated the uneasy thought as a premonition, then looked for ordinary explanations.

    How is a premonition different from a prediction?

    A premonition is framed as a feeling, while a prediction is a statement about what is expected to happen. A prediction may rely on data or reasons; a premonition may be intuitive, unexplained, or used as a suspense device.

    Word Main emphasis Example
    premonition A feeling about a future event, often an unpleasant one She had a premonition that the call would bring bad news.
    prediction A claim or estimate about what will happen The forecast predicts rain after 6 p.m.
    foreboding A sense of dread or that trouble is approaching A feeling of foreboding settled over the empty station.
    hunch An informal intuitive belief I have a hunch that the blue door is the entrance.

    Choose premonition when the unexplained feeling is central, prediction when someone states an expected outcome, and foreboding when the mood of dread matters most.

    A person compares a cloudy horizon with a weather chart on a tablet before deciding whether to leave.
    A prediction can cite evidence; a premonition names a feeling.

    What is the adjective form of premonition?

    Premonitory is the related adjective and usually comes before a noun: “a premonitory sign,” “a premonitory dream,” or “a premonitory warning.” Cambridge Dictionary defines it as warning of something unpleasant before it happens. Use premonition for the feeling itself and premonitory for a sign or quality that seems to warn of what is coming.

    Premonition in a sentence: conclusion

    A premonition in a sentence reports a feeling about what may happen: “I had a premonition that the train would be late.” Add a that-clause to name the anticipated event, an of-phrase to name it briefly, and a separate reason when you mean an evidence-based prediction.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is premonition a noun or an adjective?

    Premonition is a countable noun: a person can have a premonition or several premonitions. The related adjective is premonitory, as in “a premonitory sign.” Do not use premonition to modify a noun directly; say “a premonition of danger,” not “a premonition danger.”

    Which preposition follows premonition?

    Of is common before a noun phrase, as in “a premonition of change.” That introduces a full clause, as in “a premonition that the road would close.” Writers also use about to identify the topic: “a premonition about the outcome.”

    Does a premonition have to be about something bad?

    No. Dictionaries describe the word as especially associated with unpleasant events, so a negative or uneasy tone is common, but the context can make it neutral. A writer may use it for an unexplained feeling about a meeting, journey, decision, or other event without claiming that the feeling is accurate.

    What is the difference between premonition and intuition?

    Intuition is a broader ability or feeling of knowing without conscious reasoning and does not need to concern the future. A premonition specifically points ahead to a possible event. A character may have intuition about a person’s motive or a premonition that a storm is coming.

    Have you ever experienced a sudden feeling or belief about something that hasn’t happened yet? This intuitive sense or forewarning is known as a premonition. Premonitions are often described as a strong intuition or gut feeling that warns of future events before they actually occur.

    These premonitions can come in different forms, such as vivid dreams, physical sensations, or unexplained anxiety. Many people report having premonitions that later turn out to be accurate, leaving them with a sense of disbelief and wonder about the mysteries of the human mind.

    7 Examples Of Premonition Used In a Sentence For Kids

    1. Premonition is like a feeling that something may happen.
    2. Sometimes we get a premonition before something exciting occurs.
    3. A premonition can make us feel nervous or excited.
    4. It’s important to listen to our premonitions and stay safe.
    5. Our premonitions can help us be prepared for different situations.
    6. Trust your premonition and follow your instincts.
    7. It’s like having a special power when you have a premonition.

    14 Sentences with Premonition Examples

    1. The sudden *premonition of failing an exam made him study all night.*
    2. She had a strange premonition* that she should double-check her assignment submission.*
    3. After having a *premonition, she decided to attend the career counseling workshop at college.*
    4. The *premonition of missing the deadline prompted him to start his project ahead of time.*
    5. Ignoring the *premonition, she skipped her class and later regretted it.*
    6. His gut feeling, like a *premonition, warned him to not trust that website for research.*
    7. The mysterious *premonition of meeting someone special at the college fest came true.*
    8. Having a strange *premonition, she decided to change her study group for better results.*
    9. The *premonition of encountering a difficult question in the exam motivated her to revise thoroughly.*
    10. His sudden *premonition of a fire alarm going off led him to pack his study materials in time.*
    11. Acting on a sudden *premonition, she borrowed notes from a classmate and aced the test.*
    12. He followed his *premonition and joined the debate club, discovering his passion for public speaking.*
    13. The strange *premonition of a power outage inspired her to save her work frequently while studying.*
    14. Despite the *premonition of a difficult semester, she remained optimistic and focused on her goals.*

    How To Use Premonition in Sentences?

    Premonition is a feeling or intuition about future events. When using premonition in a sentence, it is important to accurately convey this sense of forewarning.

    Here are a few tips to effectively incorporate premonition into a sentence:

    1. Context: Provide context for the premonition by describing a specific situation or event where the feeling occurred. For example, “She had a strong premonition that something bad was going to happen.”

    2. Emotion: Convey the intensity of the premonition by using adjectives like strong, vivid, or unsettling. For example, “His premonition of danger caused him great anxiety.”

    3. Outcome: Consider the outcome or relevance of the premonition. For example, “Despite the premonition, they decided to continue with their plans.”

    4. Clear Connection: Ensure there is a clear connection between the feeling of premonition and the event being foreshadowed. For example, “The eerie premonition she felt before the accident proved to be true.”

    By following these simple guidelines, you can effectively use the word premonition in a sentence to accurately convey the sense of foreboding or intuition about the future.

    Conclusion

    In summary, premonition is the ability to have a sense or feeling about a future event before it happens. It often manifests as a strong intuition or a vague sense of foreboding. Sentences with the word “premonition” can convey instances where individuals foresee something before it occurs, like in the examples provided.

    These sentences showcase how premonitions can range from ominous feelings of impending danger to more subtle intuitions about future outcomes. Despite being intangible and subjective, premonitions are a phenomenon that many people claim to experience, adding an element of mystery and intrigue to the concept of foretelling the future.

    Written & edited by

    Founder & Editor, StartsWithy

    Robin founded StartsWithy in 2022 to make English words easier to understand and use. Robin oversees our 30,000+ guides, checks meanings and grammar against trusted dictionaries such as Cambridge, Oxford Learner’s and Collins, and is accountable for every correction we make.