forefend
/fɔːrˈfɛnd/
verb
Origin
English
fore- + fend — prefix 'fore-' (before) + 'fend' (to defend/ward off)
Overview
Meaning Now
- To prevent, avert, or ward off an undesirable event.
- To defend or protect against something harmful.
Literal older meaning
To defend in front of; to fend off from a position before it occurs.
Language path
Middle English → English
Earliest form
forefenden
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
The term is a compound formed during the Middle English period. It combines the prefix 'fore-' with the verb 'fend' (a syncopated form of 'defend'). While 'defend' implies active resistance, 'forefend' implies preemptive action to stop a negative outcome, often used in exclamations like 'Heaven forefend!'.
Evolution
- 15th century
forefenden
“To protect or ward off”
First recorded usage.
- 16th-17th century
forefend
“To avert or forbid”
Commonly used in Early Modern English, including by Shakespeare.
- 19th century
forefend
“To prevent an occurrence”
Usage becomes more literary or archaic.
Connections
Word parts
fore-
prefix
before
fend
root
to defend or ward off
Related across languages
Latin
defendere
to defend/ward off
Related words
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Related to forefend
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.