Told about something bad or dangerous ahead of time so you can prepare; given advance warning.
Prefix 'fore-' (before, Old English) + 'warned' (from Old English 'warnian'). The complete phrase 'forewarned is forearmed' dates back to the 1600s.
The saying 'forewarned is forearmed' comes from military strategy—if you know the enemy is coming, you can arm yourself in advance—it's one of the oldest survival principles embedded in a single English phrase!
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