pre-

¹

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “before” ( preclude; prevent ); applied freely as a prefix, with the meanings “prior to,” “in advance of,” “early,” “beforehand,” “before,” “in front of,” and with other figurative meanings ( preschool; prewar; prepay; preoral; prefrontal ).

P.R.E.

²

abbreviation for

1. Petroleum Refining Engineer.

pre-

prefix

1. before in time, rank, order, position, etc

   pre-eminent

   prefrontal

   premeditation

   preschool

   predate

Word History and Origins

Origin of pre-¹

< Latin prae-, prefixal use of prae (preposition and adv.); akin to first, fore-, prior ¹, pro ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of pre-¹

from Latin prae-, from prae before, beforehand, in front

Example Sentences

It also wants to reduce the maximum discounts for tenants using Right to Buy to between £16,000 and £38,000 depending on the council - bringing them back to pre-2012 levels.

From BBC

The government also wants to cut Right to Buy discounts back to pre-2012 levels and discourage social tenants from selling the homes they have bought.

From BBC

"We didn’t have credentials to get on the field. But I said 'no-one is going to pay attention'. This was pre-9/11, security was much more lax than it is now."

From BBC

In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, Mr. Frommer criticized the travel industry of the pre-“5 Dollars a Day” 1950s.

From New York Times

It remains to be seen whether global freshwater will rebound to pre-2015 values, hold steady, or resume its decline.

From Science Daily