pre-emptive
/pri:'emptiv/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Designed to prevent something from happening by taking action first: A "pre-emptive" action is one taken to stop an anticipated, often negative, event before it can occur.
- Having the power or right to act before others: In specific contexts, it can refer to a right or privilege to acquire something before others are given the opportunity.
Usage and Examples
- General Use (Preventing an Event):
- The country launched a pre-emptive strike against the military base to neutralize the imminent threat.
- The company made a pre-emptive offer to buy the smaller competitor before it could be acquired by someone else.
- Specific Contexts (Rights or Privileges):
- The shareholder had a pre-emptive right to purchase new stock issues before they were offered to the public.
Advanced Usage
- "Pre-emptive action": An action taken to prevent a future problem.
- The government's pre-emptive action stabilized the financial market before the crisis could spread.
- "Pre-emptive right": A legal or contractual right to have the first opportunity to purchase something.
- The lease agreement included a pre-emptive right for the tenant to buy the property.
Variants and Related Words
- Preempt (verb): To take action to prevent something from happening or to acquire something before others can.
- The new policy was designed to preempt any legal challenges.
- Preemption (noun): The act or right of preempting.
- The federal law has preemption over state laws in this matter.
Synonyms
- Preventive: Intended to stop something undesirable from happening.
- Anticipatory: Done in anticipation of a future event.
- Proactive: Creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.
Related Phrases
- Pre-emptive bid (in card games like bridge): A high bid made early in the auction to disrupt the opponents' communication and prevent them from finding their optimal contract.
- Her pre-emptive bid of four hearts made it difficult for the opponents to bid their spade suit.
Adjective
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designed or having the power to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence
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a preemptive business offer
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