prefatory
adjective
pref·a·to·ry
ˈpre-fə-ˌtȯr-ē 
1
: of, relating to, or constituting a preface
prefatory remarks
2
: located in front
Examples of prefatory in a Sentence
The speaker made some prefatory remarks.
Each chapter in the book has a prefatory quotation.
Recent Examples on the Web
There was a prefatory letter by Archibald MacLeish, a professor at Harvard and a former Librarian of Congress, and an introduction by Mark Schorer, a professor of English at Berkeley, along with blurbs from other eminent men of letters.
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Despite some discouraging downward trends, all the prefatory jawing could go a long way toward siphoning off a fair number of viewers who might otherwise be locked in on the NFL.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The prefatory pause gives the audience a chance to applaud a starry ensemble.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
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Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Despite some discouraging downward trends, all the prefatory jawing could go a long way toward siphoning off a fair number of viewers who might otherwise be locked in on the NFL.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The prefatory pause gives the audience a chance to applaud a starry ensemble.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Prefatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefatory. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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