prelude
noun
a preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance.
preludes
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pluralof prelude.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof prelude (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
preludenouna preliminary to an action, event, condition, or work of broader scope and higher importance.
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.
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
This was followed by four elusive Scriabin miniature preludes, Opus 22, and Scriabin’s harmonic flight-of-fancy Opus 28 Fantasie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2025
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
It hosted world gymnastics and track titles, both of which were preludes to the World Cup, which is costing the country an estimated $220 billion.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
Too impatient to endure a long range diet, he went on radical diets that seemed like preludes to famine.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
