preamble

American  

[pree-am-buhl, pree-am-] / ˈpriˌæm bəl, priˈæm- /

noun

• preambles
  plural

1. an introductory statement; preface; introduction.

   Synonyms:

   prelude, prologue, foreword, beginning, opening

   Antonyms:

   closing, afterword, conclusion, appendix, epilogue

2. the introductory part of a statute, deed, or the like, stating the reasons and intent of what follows.

3. a preliminary or introductory fact or circumstance.

   His childhood in the slums was a preamble to a life of crime.

4. (initial capital letter) the introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution, setting forth the general principles of American government and beginning with the words, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union. …”

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preamble British  

/ priːˈæmbəl /

noun

1. a preliminary or introductory statement, esp attached to a statute or constitution setting forth its purpose

2. a preliminary or introductory conference, event, fact, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preambled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preambles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of preamble

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English preambel, preambile, from Middle French preambule, préamble from Medieval Latin praeambulum, noun use of neuter of Late Latin praeambulus “walking in front”; see pre-, amble

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Explanation

A preamble is a brief introduction to a speech, like the Preamble to the Constitution that starts out "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union...do ordain and establish this Constitution." Preamble comes from the Latin praeambulus which means "walking before." And that's what a preamble does — it "walks" before a speech, often explaining what's coming. It's like the White Rabbit introducing the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. Since it goes before a speech, think of it as a pre-ramble. A preamble is usually used for formal documents; you wouldn't include one in a text to your best friend.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preamble preambles

But, as is written in its very singable preamble, the Constitution was written “in order to form a more perfect union.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Three years later, as war dragged on, a group comprising members of the North’s major Protestant denominations urged a change to the preamble of the U.S.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

By the way, the Constitution, sent to the states for ratification 11 years after the Declaration, also doesn’t contain the word “freedom,” but its preamble mentions “the Blessings of Liberty.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

“Too many approaches to peace-building foster perpetual dependency, and institutionalize crisis rather than leading people beyond it,” the charter’s preamble says, calling for “a coalition of willing States committed to practical cooperation and effective action.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

Oppenheimer’s preamble to the document delivered the gist: “No member of the Committee was willing to endorse this proposal,” he wrote.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

In any case, most of what goes into the preambles of DOT regulatory documents is just “word salad,” one staffer recalled the presenter saying.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

As a violinist, I hope that something of the streams’ sensibility survives: Mumbled preambles and tableside teddy bears unmoved by the Bach Chaconne are refreshing the genre for far-flung audiences.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 7, 2020

This is apparent right from Star Wars’ famous opening scroll, which borrows from the preambles that opened each chapter of the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers movie serials.

From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2015

Curious facts for which otherwise uninformed commentators can grope in their preambles: Plays right-handed despite being, naturally, left-handed.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 15, 2013

The preambles of exposition, the conclusions of summing up, will often be considered tedious or impertinent.

From Matthew Arnold by George Saintsbury

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Related Words

• preface

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