Forwarned

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Having received a warning beforehand so that one is prepared for something that is about to happen
2. Alerted ahead of time to a danger, problem, or unwelcome event so that one can get ready
3. Informed in advance of a coming threat or difficulty, giving time to take precautions

Etymology: "Forwarned" is the past tense and past participle of "forwarn," and the surprise lies in the original meaning of the root. Old English "forwærnan" meant "to hinder, prohibit, prevent, or refuse," not to alert anyone. The prefix "for-" carried the sense of "against" or "away," and "warn" in its older form meant "to refuse" or "to forbid," a sense that comes from a Proto-Germanic verb meaning "to care" or "to be concerned." So a person who forewarned someone was originally keeping them away from something, not giving notice of it. Over the centuries, the verb shifted toward the sense of giving advance notice. Its Middle English form "forwernen" still carried the older idea of prevention, and the notion of warning gradually came to dominate as the prohibitive sense faded. The modern meaning, "warned in advance," reflects that long drift from stopping someone to telling them in time.

Synonyms: forewarned, alerted, prepared

Antonyms: unwarned, unprepared