preempt

verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈem(p)t 

preempted; preempting; preempts

transitive verb

1

: to acquire (something, such as land) by preemption

2

: to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself

the movement was then preempted by a lunatic fringe

3

a

: to replace with something considered to be of greater value or priority : take precedence over

the program did not appear, having been preempted by a baseball game

—Robert MacNeil

b

law : to replace or supersede (a law) or bar (an action) by the doctrine of preemption

In so doing, the Court held that Congress did not intend to preempt common law contract claims.

—Charas v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., 160 F.3d 1259 (1998)

4

: to gain a commanding or preeminent place in

5

: to prevent from happening or taking place : forestall, preclude

intransitive verb

: to make a preemptive bid in bridge

preemptor

prē-ˈem(p)-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• appropriate
• arrogate
• commandeer
• convert
• expropriate
• pirate
• press
• seize
• take over
• usurp

Examples of preempt in a Sentence

The contract preempts lawsuits by the company's clients.

The state law was preempted by a federal law.

The President's speech preempted regular programming.

Recent Examples on the Web

Recognizing and aligning with each other’s apology languages can preempt misunderstandings and facilitate smoother conflict resolution, promoting emotional literacy and communication skills. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Bukele also used emergency powers to introduce indefinite pretrial detention, which means that the state does not need to present convincing evidence in court before locking a suspect up for extended periods of time and preempts the possibility that a corrupt judge would release the suspect. —Gustavo Flores-Macías, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024

The restoration of the mansion preempts a 2025 celebration of Cézanne and his connection to Aix-en-Provence. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024

To counterbalance the primary goal of clearing people from those sensitive areas, and to preempt constitutional challenges, the council also established a street engagement strategy requiring outreach to offer shelter or housing to everyone being ordered to leave. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

Daniel Ciraldo, executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League, which advocates for preserving Art Deco structures in Miami Beach, said the bill is the latest example of Tallahassee lawmakers preempting local governments from making decisions about their own communities. —Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

The bill aims to preempt state efforts to restrict access to the fertility treatments since a ruling earlier the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos could be considered children under a state law. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024

In an appearance on late-night television, however, Biden appeared to preempt Israeli officials on the timeline. —Hazem Balousha, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024

And on Saturday the House preempted months of negotiations and proposed a stand-alone Israel aid bill setting up a showdown with the Senate. —Nbc Universal, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from preemption

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

preempt

verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈem(p)t 

1

a

: to settle upon (as public land) with the right to purchase before others

b

: to take by such a right

2

: to take before someone else can : appropriate

preempt a seat at the stadium

3

: to take the place of

the president's speech preempted the regular program

preemption

-ˈem(p)-shən

noun

preemptive

-ˈem(p)-tiv

adjective

preemptor

-tər 

noun

Legal Definition

preempt

transitive verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈempt 

1

a

: to acquire (land) by preemption

b

: to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself

a senior user of a trademark could not preempt use of the mark in remote geographical markets

—Mesa Springs Enterprises v. Cutco Indus., 736 P.2d 1251 (1986)

2

a

: to replace or supersede (a law) by preemption

such state laws are not preempted by the federal Energy Reorganization Act of 1974

—National Law Journal

b

: to preclude or bar (an action) by preemption

federal airline deregulation does not preempt claims under state contract law

—National Law Journal