English Meaning & Definitions
To prevent or obstruct an anticipated event or action by taking advance measures.
- “The administration tightened security measures to forestall a potential cyberattack.”
- “He quickly changed the subject to forestall any further awkward questions from the reporters.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “forestall”.
Derived from the Old English 'foresteall', meaning an ambush or a waylaying. It is composed of 'fore-' (before) and 'steall' (a standing place). In medieval English law, it specifically referred to the practice of intercepting sellers on their way to market to buy goods privately, thereby 'stalling' the market and driving up prices for others. Over time, the meaning broadened to include preventing any event by taking advance action.
Think of it as 'fore' (before) + 'stall' (to stop or delay). You are stalling an event before it even has a chance to happen.
Frequently Asked Questions About “forestall”
1. What is the meaning of “forestall” in English?
In English, forestall (verb) is defined as: “To prevent or obstruct an anticipated event or action by taking advance measures.”.
2. How do you use “forestall” in a sentence?
“The administration tightened security measures to forestall a potential cyberattack.”
3. What are English synonyms of “forestall”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “forestall”?
Derived from the Old English 'foresteall', meaning an ambush or a waylaying. It is composed of 'fore-' (before) and 'steall' (a standing place). In medieval English law, it specifically referred to the practice of intercepting sellers on their way to market to buy goods privately, thereby 'stalling' the market and driving up prices for others. Over time, the meaning broadened to include preventing any event by taking advance action.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.