| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| preempt |
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| SYLLABICATION: | pre·empt |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  pr - mpt |
| VARIANT FORMS: | or pre-empt |
| VERB: | Inflected forms: pre·empt·ed, pre·empt·ing, pre·empts
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To appropriate, seize, or take for oneself before others. See synonyms at appropriate. 2a. To take the place of; displace: A special news program preempted the scheduled shows. b. To have precedence or predominance over: Discussion of the water shortage will preempt the other topics on this week's agenda. 3. To gain possession of by prior right or opportunity, especially to settle on (public land) so as to obtain the right to buy before others. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | Games To make a preemptive bid in bridge. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Back-formation from preemption. | | OTHER FORMS: | pre·emptor (-mptôr) —NOUN
pre·empto·ry (-mpt -r) —ADJECTIVE
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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