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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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:
Hallucinations preclude AI autonomy and automation in any high-stakes environment.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
U.S. officials say that the country’s defense industry has been bombed heavily, which will preclude Iran from quickly making more missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 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
Experts noted that the agreement does not preclude companies from using fossil fuels to meet growing energy demand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
He’d gone through a repentance process so he could cleanse himself of the behavior that would preclude him from going on a mission.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
As in 1988, the society's future bishops will be consecrated without assigned jurisdiction from Rome, in a situation the group claims precludes any schism or excommunication -- though the Vatican views the matter differently.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
But as a matter of law, the TPS statute precludes judicial review.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 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
“Defendants argue that this language precludes review,” the judge wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2025
I have heard more than a little hissing and roaring through the factory door, but my presently somewhat enervated condition precludes a descent into that particular inferno at the moment.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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
Those developments were precluded in Polynesia, because no Polynesian island except New Zealand had significant metal deposits.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
“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
His ability to remix and rematch pieces adds depth to his closet, precluding the need for a bigger one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 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.
