foretime

noun

"foretime" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“foretime” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A time previous to the present, or to a time alluded to or implied; former time or times.

Key facts for foretime
PropertyValue
Headwordforetime
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “foretime” sits in English frequency

foretime falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for foretime is 8 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A time previous to the present, or to a time alluded to or implied; former time or times.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for foretime, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1530s, from fore- + time. The correct English form is foretime, spelled F-O-R-E-T-I-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A time previous to the present, or to a time alluded to or implied; former time or times.

Etymology

1530s, from fore- + time.

Synonyms

days of yoreforetideyestertidethe past

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "foretime"?
"foretime" is spelled F-O-R-E-T-I-M-E.
What does "foretime" mean?
As a noun, "foretime" means: A time previous to the present, or to a time alluded to or implied; former time or times.
What is the origin of the word "foretime"?
1530s, from fore- + time. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “foretime”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-E-T-I-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list