Dictionary.com

preclude

[ pri-klood ]
/ prɪˈklud /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: preclude / precluded / precluding on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), pre·clud·ed, pre·clud·ing.
to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible: The insufficiency of the evidence precludes a conviction.
to exclude or debar from something: His physical disability precludes an athletic career for him.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of preclude

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin praeclūdere “to shut off, close,” equivalent to prae- pre- + -clūdere, combining form of claudere “to shut, close

OTHER WORDS FROM preclude

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use preclude in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for preclude

preclude
/ (prɪˈkluːd) /

verb (tr)
to exclude or debar
to make impossible, esp beforehand

Derived forms of preclude

precludable, adjectivepreclusion (prɪˈkluːʒən), nounpreclusive (prɪˈkluːsɪv), adjectivepreclusively, adverb

Word Origin for preclude

C17: from Latin praeclūdere to shut up, from prae in front, before + claudere to close
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK