preview
Americannoun
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an earlier or previous view.
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an advance showing of a motion picture, play, etc., before its public opening.
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an advance showing of brief scenes in a motion picture, television show, etc., for purposes of advertisement.
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anything that gives an advance idea or impression of something to come.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an advance or preliminary view or sight
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an advance showing before public presentation of a film, art exhibition, etc, usually before an invited audience of celebrities and journalists
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a public performance of a play before the official first night
verb
Other Word Forms
- unpreviewed adjective
Etymology
Origin of preview
First recorded in 1600–10; 1920–25 preview for def. 2; pre- + view
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.
In a preview of the season where she would be courted by 22 men, she proclaimed, “I’m optimistic that the man of my dreams is here.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
And their efforts could be providing a preview of what comes next, when AI agents drive more workflows on top of that software.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
"It's more impressive on the inside than it is outside. A lot of time and money in this," said a guard at a preview event.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
When Vanguard released this data last week as part of a preview of its annual “How America Saves” report, it turned many heads.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026
It’s like the boy was giving me a preview of life back home.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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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.