pretreatment

noun

pre·​treat·​ment ˌprē-ˈtrēt-mənt 

variants or pre-treatment

plural pretreatments or pre-treatments

: an act or instance of treating someone or something in advance : preliminary or preparatory treatment

pretreatment of stains

pretreatment of a surface for painting

… pretreatment is often required to remove oil and grease from the waste water.

—John H. Sheridan

… will allow public works crews to apply salt brine to pre-treat city streets before snow events. The pre-treatment creates an additional layer that helps to melt snow …

—Kevin Thompkins

A drug called atropine can reverse the effects if administered promptly, and pretreatment with pyridostigmine can help shield the body …

—Adam Rogers

also : a substance used for such treatment

Oils give great shine, but I also use them as a pretreatment to prevent damage prior to coloring my natural hair.

—Deena Campbell

Examples of pretreatment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lower pulp yields were mostly attributed to pretreatment losses and expected to significantly improve as batch sizes increase. —Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 1 June 2026

The researchers additionally report that the pretreatment stage reduced sludge treatment costs from $494 to $253 per dry ton by significantly lowering the volume of leftover biosolids requiring disposal. —New Atlas, 9 May 2026

First, in the pretreatment step, the sludge was heated to high temperatures and exposed to oxygen. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026

Hydrogen peroxide, in particular, is a versatile pretreatment that works on almost any kind of stain, including wine, food, grass, and blood. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pretreatment

• maltreatment
• mistreatment
• posttreatment
• treatment

Medical Definition

pretreatment

1 of 2 noun

pre·​treat·​ment -mənt 

: preliminary or preparatory treatment

unsuccessful … in preventing tumor growth by pretreatment with vitamin A in mice

—E. L. Felix et al.

pretreatment

2 of 2 adjective

: occurring in or typical of the period prior to treatment

a patient's pretreatment blood pressure