prelude
Americannoun
-
preludes
plural
-
a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance.
- Synonyms:
- beginning, opening, introduction
-
any action, event, comment, etc. that precedes something else.
-
Music.
-
a relatively short, independent instrumental composition, free in form and resembling an improvisation.
-
a piece that precedes a more important movement.
-
the overture to an opera.
-
an independent piece, of moderate length, sometimes used as an introduction to a fugue.
-
music opening a church service; an introductory voluntary.
-
verb (used with object)
-
preludes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
preluded,
past participle, past
-
preluding
present participle
-
to serve as a prelude or introduction to.
-
to introduce by a prelude.
-
to play as a prelude.
verb (used without object)
-
preludes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
preluded,
past participle, past
-
preluding
present participle
-
to serve as a prelude.
-
to give a prelude.
-
to play a prelude.
noun
-
-
a piece of music that precedes a fugue, or forms the first movement of a suite, or an introduction to an act in an opera, etc
-
(esp for piano) a self-contained piece of music
-
-
something serving as an introduction or preceding event, occurrence, etc
verb
-
to serve as a prelude to (something)
-
(tr) to introduce by a prelude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
preludernoun
-
prelusionnoun
-
preludialadjective
-
preludiousadjective
-
prelusiveadjective
-
unpreludedadjective
-
preludiouslyadverb
-
prelusivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
preludesimple
-
preludessimple
-
have preludedperfect
-
has preludedperfect
-
am preludingprogressive
-
are preludingprogressive
-
is preludingprogressive
-
have been preludingperfect progressive
-
has been preludingperfect progressive
Past
-
preludedsimple
-
had preludedperfect
-
was preludingprogressive
-
were preludingprogressive
-
had been preludingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prelude
1555–65; (noun) < Medieval Latin praelūdium, equivalent to prae- pre- + -lūdium play; compare Latin lūdus play; (v.) < Latin praelūdere to play beforehand
Explanation
A prelude is an introductory action, event, or performance that comes before a bigger or more momentous one. It is made of up the prefix pre- meaning "before," and the Latin root ludere meaning "play." Speakers of old school French and Latin understood a prelude to be the notes that they would play or sing to warm up or test an instrument. Today preludes are more like introductions than practice, but you can still think of them as small warm ups to the main events. Preludes are often used in classical music, as well as in novels, to set the tone for the rest of the orchestral piece or story.
Vocabulary lists containing prelude
"Two Kinds" (from The Joy Luck Club) by Amy Tan
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!
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
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!
"Total Loss Weekend" by Don Delillo
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:
Painful, for sure, but a prelude to a stirring second half from the striker and his new-old team-mates.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Keurig Dr Pepper struck a deal to buy Peet’s Coffee owner JDE Peet’s for $18 billion last year, a prelude to spinning off its coffee brands into a separate public company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
As much as Baker tried to keep his focus on Kent, however, many kept telling him that this visit was a prelude to his induction next summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Analysts widely believe Monday’s announcement is a prelude to eventual sales of both Comcast and NBCUniversal, a theory that Comcast rejects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
But the icy wind and the snow were only a prelude to the low temperatures they found in Canada.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
It has also caused speculation among Russian analysts and the country’s political class over whether it preludes another draft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He started playing piano at the age of two and, at just 17, gave a remarkable two-and-a-half-hour concert featuring the 24 preludes and fugues by composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2024
Phil creative chair, he programs the Green Umbrella series, and it was significant that Glass preludes preceded a weekend devoted to Adams and his influence at Disney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
In an interview, Darius said that his father had a shelf full of music theory books, and kept the scores of Bach and Shostakovich preludes and fugues next to his piano for reference.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2023
Wars, migrations, natural disasters—these were mere preludes to the Mormon story.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
The Taliban did not issue a formal statement on the anniversary of the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks that preluded them being driven from power 20 years earlier.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 11, 2021
Similar marches have since preluded Pride events across the country.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 6, 2019
Seventy years later, it was lost to the modern urges that preluded the Seattle Century 21 World’s Fair.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2018
Last week came a Luther Day which was notable because it preluded bigger celebrations, to be held Nov. 10 on the 450th anniversary of Martin Luther's birth.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Wheel-y-will-y-will-y-il!” preluded again the little brown hermit-lover, with the rufous tail and ruffled, 110 speckled breast, from an evergreen twig of the low pine-scrub.
From Pemrose Lorry, Camp Fire Girl by Isabel Katherine Hornibrook
They were preluding a Pan-Pacific Buddhists' Conference to be held in Tokyo in 1934.
From Time Magazine Archive
In the midst of silence, with no preluding sound, he is wrapped in sudden light.
From Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
Mrs. Stitchley, who purposely had partaken of a light luncheon and no tea, was particularly loud in her encomiums, preluding each sausage-roll she took, from the sixth onwards, with some fresh adjective.
From Mrs. Bindle Some Incidents from the Domestic Life of the Bindles by Hebert Jenkins
The minstrel was already preluding with his fingers upon the strings of his instrument.
From Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China During the years 1844-5-6. Volume 1 [of 2] by Evariste Regis Huc
He was merely preluding in that fashion which the exactitude of the Tuscan law requires, and replying to the interesting interrogatories regarding his former life, so essential to a due understanding of his present complaint.
From Gerald Fitzgerald The Chevalier by Charles James Lever
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.
