pre-emption

British  

/ prɪˈɛmpʃən /

noun

1. law the purchase of or right to purchase property in advance of or in preference to others

2. international law the right of a government to intercept and seize for its own purposes goods or property of the subjects of another state while in transit, esp in time of war

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Etymology

Origin of pre-emption

C16: from Medieval Latin praeemptiō, from praeemere to buy beforehand, from emere to buy

Example Sentences

The evidence is that this is not a response to an imminent threat, which the word pre-emption implies.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Disputes over the pre-emption question have been working their way through the court system.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Tech industry executives are waiting to see whether Trump follows through on the executive order and whether the pre-emption concept gains traction in Congress.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

New governance rules approved on Thursday envisage a lock-up period of five years and mechanisms, including pre-emption rights, to ensure that control of Edizione remains in the hands of the Benettons through the generational transition.

From Reuters • Jan. 13, 2022

So, to win their votes, the votes of the squatters, our representatives in Congress helped to pass laws declaring all lands in California open to pre-emption, as in Louisiana, for instance.

From The Squatter and the Don by Loyal, C.