precondition
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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preconditionsimple
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preconditionssimple
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have preconditionedperfect
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has preconditionedperfect
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am preconditioningprogressive
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are preconditioningprogressive
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is preconditioningprogressive
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have been preconditioningperfect progressive
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has been preconditioningperfect progressive
Past
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preconditionedsimple
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had preconditionedperfect
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was preconditioningprogressive
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were preconditioningprogressive
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had been preconditioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of precondition
Explanation
A precondition is a prerequisite. It’s the thing that has to happen before something else happens. For example, as a precondition to getting your allowance, you might have to give the dog a hairdo once a week. Precondition is often used in the negative – when world leaders meet to discuss something, they might ask for no preconditions. Clean slate. On the other hand, good grades are sometimes a precondition for joining the school basketball team. Applying for a new job can be frustrating when you realize that experience is a precondition, but you're not sure how to get the experience without getting a job. When it's a verb, precondition means to prepare something (or someone).
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 absence of this precondition wouldn’t be so consequential if the average whale’s bets were no better or worse than those of the smallest investors.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
At the moment, Iran says it wants $12 billion as a precondition for even starting negotiations—and another $12 billion as a precondition for signing a deal at the end of the talks.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
But Iranian officials reiterated Tuesday that unfreezing the country’s overseas assets remains a precondition for continued negotiations.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
It is also a "precondition" for the possible joint production of military equipment, said a second EU official.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
I said the ANC would accept no preconditions to talks, especially not the precondition that the government wanted: the suspension of the armed struggle.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
“There can be no certainty that any firm offer will be made, even if any preconditions are satisfied or waived,” the statement said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Contrarians typically don’t hazard a guess as to when those preconditions will be met, preferring instead to let the markets tell the story in real time.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026
“He has all of the preconditions or precursors of becoming a really good tennis player,” the 24-time major winner from Serbia said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
It requires persistent involvement, coupled with a thorough schooling in the causes of the war and the necessary preconditions for real peace.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2025
Smeaton’s work depended on two intellectual preconditions being satisfied.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Because as viewers, we’re sort of preconditioned to think in terms of will they/won’t they or who will be the one true pairing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2023
American Airlines spokesman Andrew Trull told the Charlotte Observer that a preconditioned air hose was likely attached to the plane and pumping cooler air from the jet bridge onto the craft.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 27, 2022
The greatest reduction in aircraft emissions has come from preconditioned air and ground power at each of the gates, which enables the small engines in the back of the aircraft to be powered off.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2020
The goal would be to strategically change the tumor environment, using hyperthermia before immunotherapy, so that the environment is preconditioned to be the most beneficial for the body’s immune system and destroy malignant cancer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2015
Generally, while still in prison, our convict-converts preconditioned themselves to meet our Nation’s moral laws.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Tesla also recommends that drivers use its “scheduled departure” feature to register the start of a trip in advance, so the vehicle can determine the best time to start charging and preconditioning.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
Studies show that preconditioning helps the ferrets’ survival rate.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 4, 2023
Kristen Netten, a Tesla influencer, posted a timelapse video on Twitter about how preconditioning the car from the app can take some of the cleaning stress away.
From The Verge ● Jan. 27, 2022
After preconditioning, the aerosol sample is classified in two cylindrical mobility analysers.
From Nature ● May 24, 2016
Tomorrow morning you will be given a preconditioning which will set up the basic situation that you have traveled to Serrengia and are now established there in the colony.
From The Colonists by Jones, Raymond F.
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.
