preemptively

Or pre-emp·tive·ly

[pree-emp-tiv-lee]

adverb

1. before or in preference to other buyers, claimants, candidates, etc..

   TriStar has preemptively purchased the movie rights to Williams’ new novel, the sequel to her debut bestseller.

2. as a measure taken against something anticipated or feared; preventively.

   Knowing I’d be practicing piano for hours every day, I preemptively left polite notes for the upstairs and downstairs neighbors—with cookies attached—apologizing for the noise.

3. Bridge.,  (said of bidding) at an unnecessarily high level, as a defensive maneuver to make communication between one’s opponents more difficult.

   The more tricks you are certain of winning, given your hand, the higher the level at which you can bid preemptively.

Word History and Origins

Origin of preemptively¹

preemptive ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

“So I didn’t want to just kind of preemptively put him in there. I felt good with who we had.”

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The president ignited a firestorm by preemptively blaming the left for Kirk’s killing before anyone knew who the shooter was.

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Many flocked to field offices to preemptively provide proof of their identities even when they didn’t need to.

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Williams said the In-Home Supportive Services program — funded primarily by Medicaid — has preemptively cut funding for transportation to her sister’s weekly appointments.

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In “KPop Demon Hunters,” however, these demons are not waiting passively for humans to die but are rather preemptively harvesting souls through their addictive tunes and undeniable physical magnetism.

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