pre-empt
Britishverb
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(tr) to acquire in advance of or to the exclusion of others; appropriate
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(tr) to occupy (public land) in order to acquire a prior right to purchase
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(intr) bridge to make a high opening bid, often on a weak hand, to shut out opposition bidding
Other Word Forms
- pre-emptor noun
- pre-emptory adjective
Vocabulary lists containing pre-empt
2014 Vocabulary Video Contest (M-Z)
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 3
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Vocab Video Contest (2016) - List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Nobody was intending to pre-empt the New Jersey state gaming commission,” he says.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
The implication was that more footage was to come and Magyar moved to pre-empt it.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
In the run-up to Athens, Peters had encouraged Hoy to pre-empt a scenario in which his rivals broke the world record in the men's kilometre time trial before the Scot had his chance to ride.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
The big PBMs are now trying to pre-empt change before it is forced upon them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
The hunter laughed scornfully, and said,– “Good many folks about here pre-empt more than once.”
From The Cabin on the Prairie by Pearson, C. H. (Charles Henry)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
