Forestall

Pronunciation: /fɔːrˈstɔːl/

Definitions of forestall

verb to prevent or hinder something from happening or to anticipate and deal with something in advance

Example Sentences

A1 I tried to forestall the argument by changing the subject.

A2 She forestalled any potential issues by addressing them early on.

B1 The company implemented new policies to forestall future financial problems.

B2 The government took action to forestall a possible economic crisis.

C1 The negotiations were carefully planned to forestall any misunderstandings.

C2 The security measures were put in place to forestall any potential threats.

Examples of forestall in a Sentence

formal The company implemented new policies to forestall any potential legal issues.

informal I made sure to speak up early to forestall any misunderstandings.

slang I had to act fast to forestall any drama from happening.

figurative She tried to forestall the inevitable breakup, but it was unavoidable.

Grammatical Forms of forestall

• past tense: forestalled
• plural: forestalls
• comparative: more forestall
• superlative: most forestall
• present tense: forestall
• future tense: will forestall
• perfect tense: have forestalled
• continuous tense: is forestalling
• singular: forestalls
• positive degree: forestall
• infinitive: to forestall
• gerund: forestalling
• participle: forestalling

Origin and Evolution of forestall

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'forestall' originated from the Old French word 'forestaller' which meant to intercept or hinder by waylaying, from 'fore-' (before) + 'estaller' (to place).

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'forestall' evolved to refer to preventing something from happening or anticipating and dealing with something in advance, rather than intercepting or hindering.