pre-emption
31pre-empt — (v.) also preempt, 1855, back formation from PRE EMPTION (Cf. pre emption), originally American English. In the broascasting sense, it is attested from 1965, American English, a euphemism for cancel. Related: pre empted; preempted …
32pre-empt — preempt [priˈempt] v [T] [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: preemption (17 21 centuries), from Medieval Latin praeemere to buy before ] 1.) to make what someone has planned to do or say unnecessary or ineffective by saying or doing something first ▪ The… …
33pre-empt — v. 1 tr. a forestall. b acquire or appropriate in advance. 2 tr. prevent (an attack) by disabling the enemy. 3 tr. obtain by pre emption. 4 tr. US take for oneself (esp. public land) so as to have the right of pre emption. 5 intr. Bridge make a… …
34pre-empt — [[t]priː e̱mpt[/t]] pre empts, pre empting, pre empted VERB If you pre empt an action, you prevent it from happening by doing something which makes it unnecessary or impossible. [V n] You can pre empt pain by taking a painkiller at the first… …
35pre-emptive — unprovoked and without warning Used of warfare or violence. Pre emption is buying first, whence denying the purchase to others. In the phrases pre emptive strike and preemptive offensive: It would be important... for the forces of the… …
36pre-empt — /pri ˈɛmpt / (say pree empt) verb (t) 1. to occupy (land) in order to establish a prior right to buy: *They can t take away land that I pre empted near forty years back, can they, Brevis? –g.b. lancaster, 1933. 2. to acquire or appropriate… …
37pre-empt — verb 1》 take action in order to prevent (an attack or other anticipated event) happening; forestall. 2》 acquire or appropriate in advance. ↘N. Amer. acquire by pre emption. 3》 Bridge make a high opening bid in order to prevent the opponents… …
38pre-emptive — /pri ˈɛmptɪv/ (say pree emptiv) adjective 1. of or relating to pre emption. 2. Bridge of or relating to an unnecessarily high bid, made to deter one s opponents from bidding. 3. Military of or relating to an action undertaken to destroy or weaken …
39pre-empt — verb (T) to make what someone has planned to do or say unnecessary or ineffective by saying or doing something first: I didn t want to pre empt what you were about to say. pre emption / empSFn/ noun (U) …
40federal pre-emption — The U.S. Constitution and acts of Congress have given to the federal government exclusive power over certain matters such as interstate commerce and sedition to the exclusion of state jurisdiction. Occurs where federal law so occupies the field… …
