prelude
Americannoun
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preludes
plural
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a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance.
- Synonyms:
- beginning, opening, introduction
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any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.
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Music.
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a relatively short, independent instrumental composition, free in form and resembling an improvisation.
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a piece that precedes a more important movement.
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the overture to an opera.
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an independent piece, of moderate length, sometimes used as an introduction to a fugue.
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music opening a church service; an introductory voluntary.
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verb (used with object)
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preludes,
present (3rd person singular)
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preluded,
past participle, past
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preluding
present participle
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to serve as a prelude or introduction to.
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to introduce by a prelude.
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to play as a prelude.
verb (used without object)
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preludes,
present (3rd person singular)
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preluded,
past participle, past
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preluding
present participle
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to serve as a prelude.
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to give a prelude.
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to play a prelude.
noun
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a piece of music that precedes a fugue, or forms the first movement of a suite, or an introduction to an act in an opera, etc
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(esp for piano) a self-contained piece of music
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something serving as an introduction or preceding event, occurrence, etc
verb
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to serve as a prelude to (something)
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(tr) to introduce by a prelude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preludernoun
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prelusionnoun
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preludialadjective
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preludiousadjective
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prelusiveadjective
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unpreludedadjective
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preludiouslyadverb
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prelusivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preludesimple
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preludessimple
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have preludedperfect
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has preludedperfect
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am preludingprogressive
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are preludingprogressive
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is preludingprogressive
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have been preludingperfect progressive
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has been preludingperfect progressive
Past
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preludedsimple
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had preludedperfect
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was preludingprogressive
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were preludingprogressive
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had been preludingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prelude
1555–65; (noun) < Medieval Latin praelūdium, equivalent to prae- pre- + -lūdium play; compare Latin lūdus play; (v.) < Latin praelūdere to play beforehand
Explanation
A prelude is an introductory action, event, or performance that comes before a bigger or more momentous one. It is made of up the prefix pre- meaning "before," and the Latin root ludere meaning "play." Speakers of old school French and Latin understood a prelude to be the notes that they would play or sing to warm up or test an instrument. Today preludes are more like introductions than practice, but you can still think of them as small warm ups to the main events. Preludes are often used in classical music, as well as in novels, to set the tone for the rest of the orchestral piece or story.
Vocabulary lists containing prelude
"Two Kinds" (from The Joy Luck Club) by Amy Tan
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
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"Total Loss Weekend" by Don Delillo
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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.
See Examples For:
The aim is to introduce more transparency to this practice as a prelude to reforming it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
His peregrinations are the prelude to a love story as passionate as it is fleeting.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
The company said layoffs were a necessary prelude to modernizing the facility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
As much as Baker tried to keep his focus on Kent, however, many kept telling him that this visit was a prelude to his induction next summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
This was but the prelude to more, for each rain washed more of the insecticide into the river, killing more fish.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
It has also caused speculation among Russian analysts and the country’s political class over whether it preludes another draft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He started playing piano at the age of two and, at just 17, gave a remarkable two-and-a-half-hour concert featuring the 24 preludes and fugues by composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2024
After intermission came the second book of Debussy’s preludes, more convincing but not the old Pollini.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2024
As a child, she was drawn to the lyricism of his preludes for piano, even as she followed a strict conservatory regimen of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2023
The twelve-note octave as we know it became a firm fixture of Western music after the publication in 1722 of J. S. Bach’s forty-eight preludes and fugues for the 'Well-Tempered Keyboard’.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The Taliban did not issue a formal statement on the anniversary of the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks that preluded them being driven from power 20 years earlier.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 11, 2021
Similar marches have since preluded Pride events across the country.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 6, 2019
Seventy years later, it was lost to the modern urges that preluded the Seattle Century 21 World’s Fair.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2018
Their Majesties' present Afric tour was preluded when they left Antwerp some weeks ago on the steamer Thysville, but began in earnest as they landed at Boma, in the mouth of Mother Congo.
From Time Magazine Archive
The conversation was preluded by a pretty, well-sustained passage of affectionate inquiries concerning the period of absence, and then the Major ejaculated ...
From The Widow Barnaby Vol. II (of 3) by Frances Eleanor Trollope
They were preluding a Pan-Pacific Buddhists' Conference to be held in Tokyo in 1934.
From Time Magazine Archive
They are preluding gently, playing elaborately fugued variations on a dance tune in three-eighth time, rendered singularly plaintive by the absence of perfect closes.
From Limbo and Other Essays To which is now added Ariadne in Mantua by Vernon Lee
The Signora sent for hers; and his Excellency, preluding with a beautiful simper, gave them some slight thing to this effect.
From The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield
At the moment when the present history begins, the vibrating tones of the piano were heard preluding the passionate allegro of the aria from "La Traviata": gran Dio morir si giovine.
From The Marquis of Pe?alta (Marta y Mar?a) A Realistic Social Novel by Armando Palacio Vald?s
"Too bad about old Wiggy," he remarked with his preluding sigh.
From The Siege of the Seven Suitors by Meredith Nicholson
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