Preempt Meaning in English

word

US

UK

Definition

To act before someone else or before something happens in order to prevent or avoid a certain outcome; to take action to stop something in advance.

Usage & Nuances

Often formal or business/legal/military. Common in phrases like 'preempt a threat' or 'preemptive strike.' Implies interrupting or acting first to avoid an undesired result. Not the same as 'prevent' (which just means to stop something); 'preempt' stresses action before others.

• Spanish: anticiparse - prevenir
• Portuguese (BR): prevenir - antecipar-se
• Portuguese (PT): prevenir - antecipar-se
• Chinese (Simplified): 抢先 - 预先制止
• Chinese (Traditional): 搶先 - 預先制止
• Hindi: पहले ही रोक लेना - रोकथाम करना
• Arabic: استباق - الحيلولة دون
• Bengali: অগ্রিম প্রতিরোধ করা - আগে থেকে ব্যবস্থা নেওয়া
• Russian: предвосхитить - действовать на опережение
• Japanese: 先手を打つ - 未然に防ぐ
• Vietnamese: đón đầu - hành động trước
• Korean: 선제적으로 막다 - 선수를 치다
• Turkish: önceden önlem almak - önüne geçmek
• Urdu: پہلے سے اقدام کرنا - پیش بندی کرنا
• Indonesian: mengantisipasi - mengambil tindakan terlebih dahulu

Example Sentences

Governments sometimes preempt threats by increasing security.

basic

The company acted fast to preempt its competitor's new product.

basic

She spoke up to preempt any criticism.

basic

Her quick response preempted a big misunderstanding.

natural

They took early action to preempt any rumors from spreading.

natural

To preempt trouble, the manager clarified the rules from the start.

natural