forehandedness

See also: fore-handedness

English

Alternative forms

• fore-handedness

Etymology

forehanded +‎ -ness

Noun

forehandedness (uncountable)

1. Prudence, foresight, and thriftiness.
   • 2014, Harold J. Laski, A Grammar of Politics, →ISBN:

     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.

   • 1971, Rudyard Kipling, Andrew Rutherford, Short Stories: A Sahibs' war and other stories, →ISBN, page 39:

     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.

2. Action taken in advance.
   • 2009, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rose O' the River, →ISBN, page 51:

     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.

3. Wealth, the quality of having sufficient possessions to live comfortably.
   • 1848, James L Ridgely, Paschal Donaldson, The Odd-fellows' Offering, page 102:

     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.