preclude
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to exclude or debar
-
to make impossible, esp beforehand
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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preclusionnoun
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precludableadjective
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preclusiveadjective
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unprecludableadjective
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unpreclusiveadjective
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preclusivelyadverb
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unpreclusivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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precludesimple
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precludessimple
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have precludedperfect
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has precludedperfect
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am precludingprogressive
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are precludingprogressive
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is precludingprogressive
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have been precludingperfect progressive
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has been precludingperfect progressive
Past
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precludedsimple
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had precludedperfect
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was precludingprogressive
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were precludingprogressive
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had been precludingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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 ”
Compare meaning
How does preclude compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
To preclude something is to prevent it from happening. A muzzle precludes a dog from biting. This is a very formal word, but it has a simple meaning: when something is precluded, it can't happen. See the prefix pre in preclude and in prevent? It is signaling that these words are all about things done before another action would happen — to make it impossible. Staying away from water precludes the possibility of drowning, though it also precludes any chance of having fun swimming.
Vocabulary lists containing preclude
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Power Prefix: pre-
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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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 match ended in a tie, yet that did not preclude the hundreds of Ecuadorians assembled to wave their flags, dance and continue the festivities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Hallucinations preclude AI autonomy and automation in any high-stakes environment.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
While Wellington does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, "this does not preclude New Zealand from maintaining trade, economic, cultural and indigenous exchanges", the foreign ministry said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
Along with all the other abuses uncovered during the Watergate era, new rules governing the FBI were put in place to preclude such abuses from happening again.
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2026
The distance between close “neighbors,” even if it were considerably less than the average, would seem to preclude frequent popping in for a chat.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Powell sticking it out, even for a few more months, precludes that option.
From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026
It also isn’t clear that the Donroe Doctrine precludes interventions outside the Western Hemisphere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
"We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case," Dr Ukpo added.
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025
“So often, it takes all this time for these people to be diagnosed. Well, then it precludes them from being a part of these clinical trials,” Dane told Swalwell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
“Absolutely. Owls are wise. They are carefu and patient. Wisdom precludes boldness.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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
The secrecy precluded a medal of honor without a waiver from Congress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
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
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
For his part, Charles admitted that Emma had been right when she said that his looking at the world in a scientific way probably precluded him from looking at it in a religious way.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Under the provisions of the 1998 Northern Ireland Act, regulations governing the flag had become "a transferred prerogative matter", precluding Her Majesty's "command on flags … having any legal effect in Northern Ireland".
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025
Nuzzi intends these as part of a larger mosaic, and while they are occasionally intriguing, they exist as fragments, precluding any possibility of narrative momentum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
“What they want to do is get people up and running to start building the bank, rather than precluding people at the front end,” Portilla said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
By comparison, even the best available practical hydrogen storage tanks allow the gas to leak out at a rate of about 1 percent per day, precluding any uses that would require year-long storage, Li says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2023
“It means,” said Baaz, “that it will be added to your debts. By my own quick calculations, you should be able to pay it back in approximately thirty-five years, precluding interest.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
