Preempt Definition
prē-ĕmpt
pre-empt, preempted, preempting, preempts
verb
preempted, preempting, preempts
To take the place of or take precedence over.
Discussion of the water shortage will preempt the other topics on this week's agenda.
American Heritage
To prevent from happening by acting ahead of time; forestall.
Webster's New World
To take action to prevent (another) from acting.
American Heritage
To acquire (public land) by preemption.
Webster's New World
To seize before anyone else can, excluding others; appropriate beforehand.
Webster's New World
noun
A preemptive bid.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- pre-empt
- preemptive bid
Origin of Preempt
Back-formation from preemption
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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Back-formation from preemption.
From Wiktionary
Preempt Is Also Mentioned In
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