preempted

or pre-empt·ed

[ pree-emp-tid ]

adjective

1. (of land) occupied in order to establish a prior right to buy:

   In 1860 the blacksmith arrived in Kansas to buy his preempted claim of 120 acres on Mission Creek.

2. acquired or appropriated ahead of others; taken for oneself:

   The group of retired friends lunched together every day in a preempted room at the Exchange Club.

3. Government. being or relating to an area of oversight reserved by a particular level of government, especially an area that would otherwise be under the authority of a lower level of government:

   Except in the federally preempted domain of warnings based on smoking and health, tobacco regulation is under state control.

4. replaced or set aside because of other priorities, reconsideration, changes in scheduling, etc.:

   The preempted programs were usually game shows or reruns of primetime sitcoms.

5. forestalled or prevented by advance action:

   Knowledge acquired through a preempted attack may inform national response and help deter future attacks.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of preempt.

Other Words From

• un·pre·empt·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of preempted¹

First recorded in 1860–70; preempt ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; preempt ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

They won in the lower courts, and the Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that the federal motor voter law preempted or overrode the state’s law.

From Los Angeles Times

Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, an abortion rights supporter now running for governor, didn’t defend the restrictions in court because he already contended they were preempted by the FDA’s decisions.

From Seattle Times

This preempted any attempt to take the art abroad or to sell it on the international market.

From Seattle Times

And even if it is not preempted, the company says, “permanent” in its legal application to this case means “non-temporary,” or “indefinite,” not forever.

From Los Angeles Times

But he didn’t defend the additional restrictions in court because Stein’s office believed they were preempted by the FDA.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• booked
• restricted