preempted
Americanadjective
-
(of land) occupied in order to establish a prior right to buy.
In 1860 the blacksmith arrived in Kansas to buy his preempted claim of 120 acres on Mission Creek.
-
acquired or appropriated ahead of others; taken for oneself.
The group of retired friends lunched together every day in a preempted room at the Exchange Club.
-
Government. being or relating to an area of oversight reserved by a particular level of government, especially an area that would otherwise be under the authority of a lower level of government.
Except in the federally preempted domain of warnings based on smoking and health, tobacco regulation is under state control.
-
replaced or set aside because of other priorities, reconsideration, changes in scheduling, etc..
The preempted programs were usually game shows or reruns of primetime sitcoms.
-
forestalled or prevented by advance action.
Knowledge acquired through a preempted attack may inform national response and help deter future attacks.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preempted
First recorded in 1860–70; preempt ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; preempt ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
It may be that the number of beneficiary designations and transfer-on-death deeds preempted an official probate process.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
It's unclear whether The Bachelorette, which was already filmed, is simply being preempted for a period of time or if it will never see the light of day.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
This is despite being preempted in 23% of U.S. households, in markets where ABC affiliates are owned by Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Media Group, station chains that persist in refusing to air the show.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2025
But he didn’t defend the additional restrictions in court because Stein’s office believed they were preempted by the FDA.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
Now Naheed felt silly, but when she turned to ask Eliza what had happened, Mrs. Salinger preempted her.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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