preface
Americannoun
-
prefaces
plural
-
a preliminary statement in a book by the book's author or editor, setting forth its purpose and scope, expressing acknowledgment of assistance from others, etc.
- Antonyms:
- appendix
-
an introductory part, as of a speech.
- Antonyms:
- epilogue
-
something preliminary or introductory.
The meeting was the preface to an alliance.
- Antonyms:
- epilogue
-
Ecclesiastical. a prayer of thanksgiving, the introduction to the canon of the Mass, ending with the Sanctus.
verb (used with object)
-
prefaces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prefaced,
past participle, past
-
prefacing
present participle
-
to provide with or introduce by a preface.
-
to serve as a preface to.
noun
-
a statement written as an introduction to a literary or other work, typically explaining its scope, intention, method, etc; foreword
-
anything introductory
-
RC Church a prayer of thanksgiving and exhortation serving as an introduction to the canon of the Mass
verb
-
to furnish with a preface
-
to serve as a preface to
Synonym Usage
See introduction.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
prefacesimple
-
prefacessimple
-
have prefacedperfect
-
has prefacedperfect
-
am prefacingprogressive
-
are prefacingprogressive
-
is prefacingprogressive
-
have been prefacingperfect progressive
-
has been prefacingperfect progressive
Past
-
prefacedsimple
-
had prefacedperfect
-
was prefacingprogressive
-
were prefacingprogressive
-
had been prefacingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of preface
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin prēfātia, for Latin praefātiō “a saying beforehand,” equivalent to praefāt(us) (past participle of praefārī “to say beforehand”; see pre-, fate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A preface is an introduction to the main text of a book, when an author or critic can write directly to the reader. A preface often describes how a book came together, like a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the final product. The preface is a place for extra context, thoughts, or even disclaimers about the text that follows. In his preface to Lyrical Ballads, the famous poet William Wordsworth wrote, “The majority of the following poems are to be considered as experiments.” In other words, “Don’t judge me too harshly!” Preface can also be used as a verb meaning "introduce." When you preface a statement with, “No offense but... ,” the person you’re talking to braces for criticism.
Vocabulary lists containing preface
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
National Librarian Day
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Selecting and Evaluating Sources and Research Report
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Pondering these points of analysis, the preface weaves in studio photographs, Kodak snaps and paintings by Jan van Eyck, Bronzino and Titian.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
As the laureate of Puritan New England explained in a preface, “the wrong-doing of one generation lives into the successive ones.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
This preface, which harks back to “Richard II” and “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2” in addition to the three parts of “Henry VI” that immediately precede “Richard III,” crowds an already crowded plot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
As climate scientist Kevin Trenberth noted in the preface, the collection is designed as an ongoing effort that reflects the evolving nature of climate science.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 14, 2026
Galileo had had the preface set in a different typeface from the rest of the book, clearly indicating that it did not represent his own views.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
What I have recounted is what Segal called her ur-story, and some version of it prefaces every article written about her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
This is how New Orleans community organizer Malik Rahim prefaces the calm before “Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time” plunges into one of the deadliest storms in American history.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2025
Benedict then largely kept to his word that he would live a life of prayer in retirement, emerging only occasionally from his converted monastery for special events and writing occasional book prefaces and messages.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 31, 2022
Purcell cleverly prefaces his Haydn, and Dowland his Schumann, and if his Brahms Fourth is misguided, his Beethoven Ninth is bracingly straightforward.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2022
The writers of books on insect behavior generally take pains, in their prefaces, to caution that insects are like creatures from another planet, that their behavior is absolutely foreign, totally unhuman, unearthly, almost unbiological.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Tuesday's hot and humid weather was prefaced by thunderstorms in the early hours, with some 29,000 lightning strikes recorded in the south, the Met Office said.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The Monticello we know today presents itself as a compact unity, prefaced by a classical temple front and crowned by an octagonal dome—the first domed house in America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The rerelease of “Z” was prefaced earlier this year with a full-album show at the Palladium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025
Elsewhere, pro-Palestinian demonstrations prefaced Italy's vital win over Israel and Spain took another step towards qualification with a big victory against Bulgaria.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025
Some days, many days, only a death toll was announced, prefaced by a reiteration of the general situation.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
McFadden directly sampled the “Megamix” electro beat on “Storm,” from “The Audience’s Listening,” prefacing the drop with alien sonics before Edan and Mr. Lif deliver their rap verses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I am not prone to hyperbole. I am prone to, like, popping off a little bit. I know that,” Walz said, prefacing his argument that Americans are living in a “dangerous” time.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2025
Merchan briefly discussed the transcript issue with jurors and Necheles proceeded to show them the correct version, prefacing her remarks with a mea culpa: “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for that error.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 1, 2022
She, too, wanted to dream up rich fictional lives in lieu of what she saw at the time as the burden of prefacing her story with an explanation of her mixed-race identity and upbringing.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2021
“I’ve come to ask you to accompany us,” Blanca said without prefacing her remarks.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
