preface
noun
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.
prefaces
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pluralof preface.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof preface (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
prefacenouna 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.
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.
Mr. Zygar prefaces each chapter with a childhood or family memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
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
As in Chaucer’s poem, she prefaces her tale with what is essentially her life story, enlisting the pub’s patrons as her many husbands and various friends and acquaintances.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 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
