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

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

Core Electric Cooperative, another energy utility in Colorado, said Saturday that no preemptive outages were planned for its customers. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2026

District 4 council member Charles Lauersdorf framed the freeze as a good preemptive move while the city gets a better handle on what’s to come in the next budget cycle. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 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