What does "forehanded" mean?
Looking to the future; displaying foresight; prudent.
Forehanded
/fɔːˈhandɪd/ adj, adv
adj, adv ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Looking to the future; displaying foresight; prudent.
- Grammar: forehanded is listed as adj, adv.
- Nearest alternatives: anticipant, anticipative, anticipatory, beforetime.
- Usage evidence: ‘I dun'no' whether it air night or no,’ she said [...]. ‘I mought be too forehanded a-gittin' supper fur aught I kin tell.’
How to use "forehanded"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "forehanded" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "forehanded" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "forehanded" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "forehanded" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "forehanded" is acting as adj, adv in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anticipant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "forehanded", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Looking to the future; displaying foresight; prudent. US
"‘I dun'no' whether it air night or no,’ she said [...]. ‘I mought be too forehanded a-gittin' supper fur aught I kin tell.’"
- 2 Wealthy. US, obsolete
"The conditions of the old-time Salisbury hill-farm, which fed its owners on its spare-ribs and corn meal, and sweetened their taste with the crystallized sap of its maples, and which reckoned a man with a savings-bank account and a hundred stonewalled and unmortgaged acres "forehanded" if not positively rich, have ceased to be typical conditions of the American present-day prosperity."
- 3 Executed with a forehand stroke. not-comparable
"She caught a last glimpse of the pattern of the carpet when the forehanded chop with the edge of the palm came down on the back of the neck."
- 4 Direct, straightforward, sincere.
"Known as a 'forehanded' (straightforward) man, Cushing became a landowner and an investor in local industries."
- 5 Paid or executed in advance. obsolete
"...whilst the price of restoration was always forehanded, the brotherhood had never been known to break their guarantee of honour."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Pertaining to the forequarters of a horse. obsolete
"Jaq. ...Then, to say the truth, Mary's very well forehanded too. Sanc. Forehanded --- oons this Oaf makes a Mare of my Daughter."
Adjective
- 1 (of racket strokes) made with palm facing direction of stroke wordnet
- 2 having provided for the future wordnet
Adverb
- 1 With a forehand stroke.
"In delivering it forehanded, the ball is dropped in front of the left foot, and is struck when about a foot or even less from the ground."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"‘I dun'no' whether it air night or no,’ she said [...]. ‘I mought be too forehanded a-gittin' supper fur aught I kin tell.’"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "forehanded"?
Common synonyms include: anticipant, anticipative, anticipatory, beforetime, bright and early, canny.
How do you use "forehanded" in a sentence?
‘I dun'no' whether it air night or no,’ she said [...]. ‘I mought be too forehanded a-gittin' supper fur aught I kin tell.’
How do you pronounce "forehanded"?
Pronounced /fɔːˈhandɪd/.
Etymology
From forehand + -ed.