The Meaning of Aforementioned: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of aforementioned? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word aforementioned, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word aforementioned mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language as well as dictionaries like American Heritage and Collins English Dictionary, the word aforementioned is an adjective that means mentioned previously. The pronunciation of the simple adjective aforementioned is ə-ˈfȯr-ˈmen(t)-shənd.

There are many different languages that also use words that mean aforementioned. You may notice that some of these translations look and sound similar to each other. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words of different languages share a common origin, such as Latin or Greek. This list of translations for the word aforementioned is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Latin: supradictus‎ (masc.)
  •  Polish: wyżej wspomniany, powyżej wspomniany, wcześniej wspomniany
  •  Russian: вышеупомя́нутый‎, вышеска́занный‎
  •  Telugu: ముందు పేర్కొన్న‎
  •  German: obenerwähnt‎, vorher erwähnt, obengenannt or oben genannt
  •  Dutch: voorgenoemde‎
  •  Hungarian: említett‎
  •  Italian: suddetto‎ (masc.), suddetta‎ (fem.), sopraccennato‎ (masc.), anzidetto‎ (masc.), sopraccitato‎ (masc.)
  •  Portuguese: supracitado‎, sobredito‎, já mencionado‎
  •  Bulgarian: гореспоменат‎
  •  Mandarin: 上述‎
  •  West Frisian: niisneamd‎
  •  Czech: výše zmíněný‎
  •  Turkish: adı geçen‎, mezkûr‎, sözü geçen‎
  •  Finnish: edellä mainittu‎
  •  Spanish: ya mencionado‎, antedicho‎, sobredicho‎
  •  Catalan: abans esmentat‎, ja esmentat‎
  •  Japanese: 前述‎
  •  Korean: 상기‎
  •  French: susmentionné‎
  •  Greek: προαναφερθείς‎

How can the word aforementioned be used in a sentence?

There are many different ways that the word aforementioned can be used in a sentence. Using words in a sentence is a great way to learn their definition. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today to remember its definition. You can also try making flashcards with the words and their definitions, or making quizzes for yourself. Below are examples of the word aforementioned. 

The defendant did not take into account the aforementioned legal documents that the prosecution presented in October. His sustained argument was crumbling before his eyes.

Jamie has had issues with every cable provider known to man, from AT&T to Vizio, Charter Spectrum. The aforementioned platform providers never had justification for why her internet went down all the time on her devices and blamed the Samsung smart TV makers in the media business.

The novel reached #1 on the NYT bestseller list. Part of the authors attributed the aforementioned successes of the new book to the part of the reader. The aforementioned authors have imposter syndrome.

There was a persistence among the little boys on the school playground to shove the young girl down the slide, resulting in many tears. The aforementioned students report the main reason for the behavior is that the boys think the jungle gym is their territory on the aforementioned play space. 

There was a long list of names that signed up for the night camping excursion. People spent the majority of the night complaining, and by sunup, everyone regretted the aforementioned trip.

The chemist had sudden revelations about different scientific concepts and scientific metaphors. It was later revealed that these revelations were the result of illegal methods at the health clinic.

The PA system announced many students who cheated on their final papers and quizzes. The aforementioned papers accounted for a significant portion of their grade, and would prevent them from graduation.

Harrison wrote a 600-page novel. The publishers from Harpercollins Publishers and Random House felt that the aforementioned manuscripts needed a significant edit before it would be ready to be released. 

The old woman felt it was a cardinal sin to run around dressing immodestly. However, the aforementioned woman had her fair share of clubs and scantily-clad parties in her day. Her children felt she was a hypocrite.

What is the origin of the word aforementioned?

According to Etymonline, the word aforementioned has been used since the 1580s, from the words afore and the past participle of the word mention. Afore-written has been used since the mid-15th century, and aforenamed has been used since 1600. The word afore comes from the Middle English and Old English onforan, a contraction of the prepositional phrase on foran. This comes from the Old English ætforan. Mention has been used since the year 1300, from the Old French mencion and the Latin mentionem, mentio, and Old Latin minisci. This is of Proto-Indo-European roots.

What are synonyms and antonyms for the word aforementioned?

There are many different words that can be used in place of the word aforementioned. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same English definitions as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying to avoid repeating yourself or if you are simply looking to expand your vocabulary! This list of synonyms is provided by Thesaurus.

  •  erstwhile
  •  aforesaid
  •  above-named
  •  pioneering
  •  other
  •  forerunning
  •  supra
  •  antecedent
  •  preparatory
  •  heretofore
  •  precedent
  •  former
  •  prefatory
  •  above-mentioned
  •  prodromal
  •  one time
  •  previous
  •  preexistent
  •  forward
  •  prior
  •  precursory
  •  precursive
  •  ahead of
  •  pioneer
  •  past
  •  leading
  •  before
  •  prevenient
  •  introductory
  •  foregoing
  •  preliminary
  •  anterior
  •  aforeknown
  •  head
  •  front
  •  lead
  •  preceding

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of aforementioned (adj.). These opposite words are called antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Thesaurus.

  •  postliminary
  •  succeeding
  •  following
  •  downstream
  •  ulterior
  •  next
  •  subsequential
  •  more recent
  •  proximate
  •  subsequent
  •  ensuing
  •  posterior
  •  later

Overall, the word aforementioned is an adjective that refers to something that was mentioned previously. This can be used in many different circumstances, from legal documents to everyday speech, to refer to something that has already been spoken about. 

Sources: 

  1. aforementioned: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  2. AFOREMENTIONED Synonyms: 222 Synonyms & Antonyms for AFOREMENTIONED | Thesaurus 
  3. LATER Synonyms: 35 Synonyms & Antonyms for LATER | Thesaurus 
  4. aforementioned | Origin and meaning of aforementioned | Online Etymology Dictionary Aforementioned | Definition of Aforementioned | Merriam-Webster