preempted

or pre-empt·ed

[ pree-emp-tid ]

/ priˈɛmp tɪd /

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See synonyms for preempted on Thesaurus.com

adjective

(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

the simple past tense and past participle of preempt.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of preempted

First recorded in 1860–70; preempt + -ed² for the adjective senses; preempt + -ed¹ for the verb sense

OTHER WORDS FROM preempted

un·pre·empt·ed, adjective

Words nearby preempted

preeminence, preeminent, preemphasis, preemployment, preempt, preempted, preemptible, preemption, preemptive, preemptively, preemptive right

How to use preempted in a sentence

By stepping down, the embattled McCaffery preempted an ethics investigation that could have cost him his state pension.
Judges Behaving Badly: A Great American Tradition|Asawin Suebsaeng|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lowly rated four-hour block on caucus night preempted his show.
Why Olberman Is Angry|Howard Kurtz|January 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In fact, his Countdown program was preempted for the live caucus coverage.
Why Olberman Is Angry|Howard Kurtz|January 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
For the moment at least, the Obama White House has preempted both.
The Republican Party's Next 5 Nightmares|Matt Latimer|January 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Mandela, soon after the 1994 election, preempted them by publicly announcing he would step down after one five-year term.
Nelson Mandela's Revelatory Diaries|James Zug|October 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
So much earth must be preempted to extract so much moisture.
The Land of Little Rain|Mary Austin
“Maybe the pretty girls will all be preempted before you get there,” Leigh replied.
Winning the Wilderness|Margaret Hill McCarter
This vantage ground had been preempted mainly by the old men whose hearing was growing dim.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
But this region was at once preempted for freedom upon the discovery of gold.
The Anti-Slavery Crusade|Jesse Macy
"Lower ten, car seven," was my berth-the one I had bought and found preempted.
The Man in Lower Ten|Mary Roberts Rinehart