forestall

CEFRC1

/fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To prevent an expected event by acting before it happens.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To preclude or bar from happening, render impossible.

Examples

  • Our aim is to forestall all those risks.

  • This campaign cannot forestall new Zika virus outbreaks.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To purchase the complete supply of a good, particularly foodstuffs, in order to charge a monopoly price.

  2. To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.

  3. To anticipate, to act foreseeingly.

More examples

In context

  • Fred forestalled disaster by his prompt action.

  • In French, an aspired h forestalls elision.

  • What need a man forestall his date of grief, / And run to meet what he would most avoid?

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

To blank a fight, the teacher separated the two angry students.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English forestallen (“to forestall, intercept, ambush, way-lay”), from forestalle (“a forestalling, interception”), from Old English foresteall (“intervention, hindrance of justice, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“position”), equivalent to fore- + stall.