Dictionary

forehandedness en · NOUN

Etymology

From forehanded + -ness.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) Prudence, foresight, and thriftiness.
   • We can, if we choose to utilise our experience, be forehanded about these matters. But we shall only be forehanded by creating institutions to compel forehandedness. 2014, Harold J. Laski, A Grammar of Politics, →ISBN:
   • Any God's quantity of fuss and flubdub to bury a man, and not an ounce of forehandedness in the whole outfit to find out whether he was rightly dead. 1971, Rudyard Kipling, Andrew Rutherford, Short Stories: A Sahibs' war and other stories, →ISBN, page 39:
2. (uncountable) Action taken in advance.
   • In the opinion of the community at large Stephen's forehandedness in the matter of preparations for his marriage was imprudence, and his desire for neatness and beauty flagrant extravagance. 2009, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rose O' the River, →ISBN, page 51:
3. (uncountable) Wealth, the quality of having sufficient possessions to live comfortably.
   • And with the word, the speaker, in the vehemence of her desire to produce proofs of her gentility, would hop up on the block which served for a sort of stand by the side of the fire, and reach down a huge bag of dried apples, which must be "hefted" on the failing knees of the visiter, in proof of the forehandedness of the friends who could afford to give such evidence of their interest in Mrs. Titmouse. 1848, James L Ridgely, Paschal Donaldson, The Odd-fellows' Offering, page 102:

Forms