preempt

verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈem(p)t How to pronounce preempt (audio)
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 gameRobert 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 noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The administration also contends that the federal law overseeing egg quality and packaging preempts state laws that seek to impose additional requirements on egg production. Terry Collins, USA Today, 12 July 2025 The Trump administration's lawsuit argued that the federal Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970 should preempt any California state laws related to eggs. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025 The lawsuit, which also names Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state officials, contends that a 1970 federal law regulating egg quality and packaging preempts state laws that seek to impose additional requirements on egg production. Esther Sun, Mercury News, 10 July 2025 In Florida, where local governments are preempted from instituting sensible heat protections, workers are organizing to pressure employers to sign codes of conduct that protect their workforces. Terri Gerstein, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for preempt

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from preemption

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preempt was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preempt. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

preempt

verb
pre·​empt prē-ˈem(p)t How to pronounce preempt (audio)
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 noun

Legal Definition

preempt

transitive verb
pre·​empt prē-ˈempt How to pronounce preempt (audio)
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 marketsMesa 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 1974National Law Journal
b
: to preclude or bar (an action) by preemption
federal airline deregulation does not preempt claims under state contract lawNational Law Journal

More from Merriam-Webster on preempt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!