preemption
Americannoun
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the act or right of claiming or purchasing before or in preference to others.
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Law.
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Also called federal preemption. the doctrine that federal law takes precedence over state law when the two conflict.
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Also called state preemption. the doctrine that state law takes precedence over local law, such as county or municipal legislation, when the two conflict.
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Military. a policy of attacking first when there is imminent threat of attack by an enemy, or an enactment of this policy: The possibility of preemption is of grave concern to several Pentagon officials.
Preemption only works if there is sufficient intelligence capacity.
The possibility of preemption is of grave concern to several Pentagon officials.
Etymology
Origin of preemption
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin praeëmpt(us) “bought beforehand” (past participle of praeëmere ) + -ion; see pre-, emptor; see also redeem ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing preemption
U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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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.
The court "misunderstands FIFRA's requirement, misinterprets the scope of FIFRA's preemption and ultimately leaves Durness without a remedy for the significant harms he has suffered."
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
Over the six days between the show’s preemption and its return, celebrities and influencers posted instructions on how to cancel subscriptions to Disney’s streaming services.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2025
“EPA granted preemption waivers for California to tackle local problems like smog in the Los Angeles basin, where the pollution was both generated by and felt by Californians,” the fuel producers said in their appeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024
Whenever that happens, the Constitution’s supremacy clause says federal law wins: Under what’s known as the preemption doctrine, federal law is the “supreme Law of the Land” and overrides the conflicting state law.
From Slate ● Apr. 22, 2024
Without tracing the system of preemption laws through the several stages, it is sufficient to observe that it rests upon certain just and plain principles, firmly established in all our legislation.
From A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Volume 6, part 2: Andrew Johnson by Richardson, James D. (James Daniel)
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.
