precluded

American  

[pri-kloo-did] / prɪˈklu dɪd /

adjective

1. prevented or made impossible; disallowed or ruled out.

   A company can "fairly dismiss" an employee without giving a reason, so long as the position does not fall into a precluded category under the law.

2. (of a person) excluded or debarred; shut out.

   Literature by people of other races and cultures allows us to listen to these previously precluded voices of difference.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• unprecluded
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of precluded

preclude ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Reading the Westfall Act with close “attention to its text,” he concluded, shows that Congress has not precluded laws like Maine’s.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

I could have claimed Austrian retirement on my 65th birthday in 2023, but concerns about the Windfall Elimination Provision interfering with my Social Security benefits precluded this.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 4, 2025

One habit that precluded improvement was their reading of trivial romantic novels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Even though the government did not clarify whether Vidovic had served his time, it said a criminal sentence precluded him from holding public office.

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

The exhaust whistle, coupled with the natural engine noises, precluded the necessity of Mister Scales’ giving any further notice about the car’s arrival at its destination.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey