preempt

American  

[pree-empt] / priˈɛmpt /

Or pre-empt

verb (used with object)

1. to occupy (land) in order to establish a prior right to buy.

   Synonyms:

   usurp, appropriate, claim

2. to acquire or appropriate before someone else; take for oneself; arrogate.

   a political issue preempted by the opposition party.

3. to take the place of because of priorities, reconsideration, rescheduling, etc.; supplant.

   The special newscast preempted the usual television program.

4. to forestall or prevent (something anticipated) by acting first; preclude; head off.

   an effort to preempt inflation.

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verb (used without object)

1. Bridge. to make a preemptive bid.

noun

1. Bridge. a preemptive bid.

Other Word Forms

• preemptor
  noun
• preemptible
  adjective
• preemptory
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of preempt

An Americanism first recorded in 1840–50; back formation from preemption

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Explanation

If everyone at the lunch meeting is vying for the last roast beef sandwich, but you grab it first, you preempt your colleagues from getting it. Let them eat liverwurst! Preempt means to displace or take something before others can. Preempt combines the Latin prefix prae-, "before," with emere, "to buy." Think old-fashioned land grabs and midnight madness sales. It can also mean to replace one thing with another that’s more important. For instance, if the president is speaking or the football game is running long, brace yourself: the network just might preempt your favorite show.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preempt

A federal district judge, rejecting that contract provision, ruled last month that GEO Group must let health inspectors in, writing that “GEO’s new contract cannot preempt state law, even if it purports to.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Foreign Office explained at the time that it had disclosed the incident to preempt any attempt by the perpetrators to manipulate the footage.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

He stressed that Gottheimer has expressed opposition to some legislation that would preempt state AI laws.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

For eight years, Boulder’s case against Suncor and Exxon has survived the oil companies’ attempts to have the case dismissed, claiming that federal law should preempt the state law claims.

From Slate ● Mar. 17, 2026

Chili peppers, squashes, amaranths, and chenopods are other crops of which different but related species were domesticated in Mesoamerica and South America, since no species was able to spread fast enough to preempt the others.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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