preface
Americannoun
-
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
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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)
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to provide with or introduce by a preface.
-
to serve as a preface to.
noun
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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
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prefacessimple
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have prefacedperfect
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has prefacedperfect
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am prefacingprogressive
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are prefacingprogressive
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is prefacingprogressive
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have been prefacingperfect progressive
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has been prefacingperfect progressive
Past
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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
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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:
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
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
If ever the Shakespearean warning about those who “doth protest too much” seemed apt, Skandalakis’ overly long preface to his motion surely qualifies.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2025
In a preface, the film director Guillermo del Toro likens this collection to early modern cabinets of curiosities, whose juxtapositions of natural and artificial objects were meant to expose a hidden order of existence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
It is impossible to tell whether Osiander’s preface soothed any ruffled feathers at the Vatican, but the evidence suggests that there were no ruffled feathers there to soothe.
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
Miranda prefaces this written statement with a short video in which she smiles brightly and seems upbeat, waving goodbye as if confirming a coffee date with a friend.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2024
“I do have something for you, and I think it might hold the heart of the show,” he prefaces with sincerity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2023
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
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
"But it is a natural surface out on the salt, so you never really know what conditions you're going to get," he then prefaced it with.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
While “The Long Run’s” subtitle suggests a portrait of “The Decade That Made the Marathon Cool,” that decade—the 1970s—is prefaced by more than 100 pages of history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
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
Schiff had prefaced his remarks by saying they represented “in not so many words” the “essence of” what Trump had said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2024
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
“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
Afterward, two staff members led a discussion with the students, prefacing that talk with a disclaimer saying that they were not speaking on behalf of the university.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
Lesmerises asked Ferentz three questions at the end of the Ohio State news conference and, in prefacing one, pointed out that the Hawkeyes have one of the least productive offenses in the country.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 26, 2022
I was civil and specific, prefacing my list of what went wrong with the acknowledgment that the pandemic has long been a challenge for the entire industry, and holidays are never easy.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 17, 2022
Lately she’s been given to talking as if she won’t be around much longer, prefacing each plan with, “Well, if I’m still here next year, I’d love to see...”
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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.
