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
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.
Nandy said she would not pre-empt Starmer's announcement but said it was "how, not whether, we better protect children online".
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
However, both efforts have run into opposition from advocates concerned that they would pre-empt stronger, state-level attempts to regulate AI.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
Their capital budgets allow them to absorb, hedge or pre-empt energy-cost inflation in ways smaller companies cannot.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
“I generally agree with the direction the White House is taking to pre-empt state laws on AI,” he said in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
If fortunate to find such, they at once pre-empt the old lodge and make it their home and headquarters.
From Canadian Wilds Tells About the Hudson's Bay Company, Northern Indians and Their Modes of Hunting, Trapping, Etc. by Hunter, Martin
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.
