preamble

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noun pre·am·ble \ ˈprē-ˌam-bəl , prē-ˈ \

Definition of preamble

1 :an introductory statement; especially :the introductory part of a constitution or statute that usually states the reasons for and intent of the law

2 :an introductory fact or circumstance; especially :one indicating what is to follow

See preamble defined for English-language learners

See preamble defined for kids

Examples of preamble in a Sentence

The preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins by saying “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, …”.
His early travels were just a preamble to his later adventures.

Recent Examples of preamble from the Web

Without pause or preamble, silent as orbits, a piece of the sun went away.

— bethany barnes, OregonLive.com, "Trust us. You want to read this awesome eclipse essay," 21 Aug. 2017
Any story about Comrade Detective needs to begin with a lengthy preamble about what Comrade Detective actually is.

— scott meslow, GQ, "How Channing Tatum Ended Up Starring in the Craziest TV Show of 2017," 2 Aug. 2017
This is the letter @SHSanders45 read during the preamble at the top of today's White House press briefing.

— maureen lee lenker, EW.com, "Sarah Huckabee Sanders reads Trump fan letter from child at press briefing," 26 July 2017
And news of his arrest earlier this month in Hamilton County, whatever the circumstances, was hardly the preamble his fall camp needed.

— zach osterman, The Courier-Journal, "Insider: If IU football takes another step forward, it will be because of these guys," 25 July 2017
After a bit of a preamble, Byrde's mostly boring financial advising life is upended by his Mexican drug contact murdering his business partner and several others for skimming off the top.

— corey atad, Esquire, "Netflix's Ozark Might Be Too Much Like Breaking Bad for Its Own Good," 24 July 2017
There was no grand preamble to how this obsession started.

— david makepeace, Popular Mechanics, "The Well-Traveled, Cosmically Enlightened Life of an Eclipse Chaser," 17 July 2017
Elsewhere, as part of Snap’s Cannes preamble, the company launched a Certified Partners Program, which will see third-party agencies get Snapchat-qualified and then give hands-on training and support to marketers.

— lara o’reilly, WSJ, "CMO Today: Snap Launches More Ad Tools; J.P. Morgan Pulls Ads from NBC Over Megyn Kelly Interview," 13 June 2017
Merkel introduced the nuclear-fuel tax in January 2011 with the blunt reasoning -- stated in the bill’s preamble -- that the government needed the money after boosting spending during the financial crisis of 2008-2009.

— rainer buergin, Bloomberg.com, "Merkel Nuclear-Tax Blunder Returns to Haunt Her in Election Year," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'preamble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of preamble

Middle English, from Middle French preambule, from Medieval Latin preambulum, from Late Latin, neuter of praeambulus walking in front of, from Latin prae- + ambulare to walk

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

preamble Synonyms

Synonyms

curtain-raiser, overture, prelude, preliminary, prologue (also prolog), warm-up

Antonyms

epilogue (also epilog)

Related Words

countdown, run-up [chiefly British]; lead-in; kickoff, start

Near Antonyms

envoi (or envoy), postscript; aftermath; cessation, close, closing, conclusion, end, finale, finish, stop, termination

PREAMBLE Defined for English Language Learners

preamble

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noun

Definition of preamble for English Language Learners

: a statement that is made at the beginning of something (such as a legal document) and usually gives the reasons for the parts that follow
: something that comes before and leads to something else

PREAMBLE Defined for Kids

preamble

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noun pre·am·ble \ ˈprē-ˌam-bəl \

Definition of preamble for Students

:an introduction (as to a law) that often gives the reasons for what follows

Law Dictionary

preamble

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noun pre·am·ble \ ˈprē-ˌam-bəl, prē-ˈam- \

legal Definition of preamble

:an introductory statement (as to a contract); especially :the introductory part of a constitution or statute that usually states the reasons for and intent of the law

Note: While preambles do not state law and therefore are not judicially enforceable, they are used to determine legislative intent when interpreting statutes.

Origin and Etymology of preamble

Middle French preambule, from Medieval Latin preambulum, from Late Latin, neuter of preambulus walking in front of, from Latin prae- + ambulare to walk