[pa. pple. of FORETHINK v.]
1. Thought out or contrived beforehand; premeditated; esp. in Law, forethought felony, (of, with, upon) malice forethought. Cf. AFORETHOUGHT.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. ix. 501.
| Quheþir it wes of reklesnes, | |
| Or it of forthowcht Felny wes. |
c. 1540. in Fisher’s Wks., Life (E.E.T.S.), p. liv. But the flame at length burned so farr within him that he began not only to to speake of his forethought divorse with Queene Catherin, but also of a new maryage with Mistris Ann Bollen, wherin is to be noted the iust and secret workinge of Almightie God.
a. 1626. Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law (1639), 31. The law makes a difference between killing a man upon malice fore-thought, and upon present heat.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 287 b. Murder is when one is slaine with a man’s will, and with malice prepensed or forethought.
1662. Hickeringill, Wks. (1716), I. 307. What Rebels shall be hereafter, must needs be so upon malice fore-thought.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 103. Pannel … by Premeditation and forethought Felony, with a Poynard or other mortal Weapon, wounded the deceas’d G. B. of which Wound he soon thereafter died.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xx. It seemeth he was slain by a heavy blow with a short axe, dealt from behind and at unawares; and the act by which he fell can only be termed a deed of foul and fore-thought murder.
† 2. Anticipated. Obs.
1666. Spurstowe, Spir. Chym. (1668), 108. The stroke of a forethought evil is more gentle and soft than if it were wholly unexpected.
