preemptive

adjective

pre·​emp·​tive prē-ˈem(p)-tiv 

1

a

: of or relating to preemption

b

: having power to preempt

2

of a bid in bridge : higher than necessary and intended to shut out bids by the opponents

3

: giving a stockholder first option to purchase new stock in an amount proportionate to the stockholder's existing holdings

4

: marked by the seizing of the initiative : initiated by oneself

a preemptive attack

preemptively adverb

Examples of preemptive in a Sentence

The country took preemptive action against the perceived enemy.

a preemptive attack by the army

Recent Examples on the Web

The moves follow South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's instruction on Tuesday to activate a preemptive emergency response system, as Seoul stepped up efforts to manage the economic fallout from the conflict. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026

Marco Rubio called it a preemptive strike because Israel was about to trigger a conflict. —Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026

Any judgment that the attack was preemptive or unprovoked could undermine the logic of deploying Japan's military, known as the Self-Defense Forces (SDF). —Npr Staff, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026

Arizona's prosecution comes shortly after Kalshi filed preemptive civil actions against Utah, Iowa and the Grand Canyon State in hopes of stopping those states from acting against the platform. —David K. Li, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for preemptive

• exemptive
• redemptive

Legal Definition

preemptive

adjective

pre·​emp·​tive prē-ˈemp-tiv 

: of or relating to preemption