forechoose means to prefer; choose in preference. It carries an Arena rating of 1597, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, forechoose ranks #2,107 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #2,544 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #6,616 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #7,142 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
Why “forechoose” is a great word
To select or prefer something before the moment of necessity, by prior inclination. From the Old English *foreċēosan* ('to choose in preference'), combining the prefix *fore-* ('before') with *ċēosan* ('to choose'), a simple fusion of time and volition. Unlike 'preselect,' which implies a formal, systematic winnowing for a subsequent stage, or 'predestine,' which suggests a fate locked by external decree, to forechoose is an intimate, human act of leaning forward in time with one's desire. It is the gardener's eye marking the strongest seedling in a flat, the quiet resolve to take the path through the woods long before reaching the fork, the hand already knowing which book it will reach for from the shelf—a small, persistent assertion of self against the open field of possibility.
Etymology
From Middle English forechosen, from Old English foreċēosan (“to choose in preference”), equivalent to fore- + choose.
verb
- To prefer; choose in preference.
- To choose ahead of time; preelect; preselect.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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