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 his 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

On Monday, as members of Congress returned to Washington after a recess — with both chambers gathering in person for the first time since Biden’s disastrous debate performance — the president launched an early-morning preemptive strike. —Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 8 July 2024

That’s largely why Trump and his allies were so hell-bent on reclassifying all civil servants as at-will employees—and why the Biden administration’s preemptive move to impede any such reclassification was widely hailed by those alarmed by the prospects of a second Trump presidency. —Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024

Google will face a bench trial, a trial conducted by a judge without a jury, after a ruling today that the preemptive check is big enough to cover any damages that might have been awarded by a jury. —Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 7 June 2024

North Korea's missile launch on Wednesday was its first weapons demonstration since Kim Jong Un last month supervised the firing of nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers to simulate a preemptive attack on South Korea. —Bradford Betz, Fox News, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Legal Definition

preemptive

adjective

pre·​emp·​tive prē-ˈemp-tiv 

: of or relating to preemption