as in requirements
something that must exist or happen before something else can exist or happen
An education is an important precondition for getting a good job. They insist on a guarantee as a precondition to the deal.
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Recent Examples of preconditions
Zelensky has agreed to meet Putin just about anywhere but Moscow, with no preconditions.
—
Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
While this market has those preconditions—a revolutionary technology and spectacular profit growth—the cycle has not yet reached the terminal phase where insiders rush for the exits.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
The idea arose when, as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western artists began to write and create art about the preconditions and reasons behind Russia’s actions.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Qatar has hosted multiple rounds of talks since April between the Congo and M23, mainly to set preconditions for a peace deal and agree on confidence-building steps, but both sides still accuse each other of violating peace terms and fighting has continued.
—CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Trump is fully capable of spinning a narrative that would claim one of those preconditions, even while having no resemblance to the truth.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Build Preconditions First Start with the preconditions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
However, the late Tuesday decision handed down by Judge Amit Mehta, who has been overseeing the Google Search antitrust trial, prevents Alphabet from paying for contracts with preconditions such as making its Google Search the exclusive search option.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The first step—which could be agreed in days—is an immediate cease-fire along current front lines, without any preconditions or promises beyond starting talks.
—Miriam Sapiro, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
While this market has those preconditions—a revolutionary technology and spectacular profit growth—the cycle has not yet reached the terminal phase where insiders rush for the exits.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
The idea arose when, as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western artists began to write and create art about the preconditions and reasons behind Russia’s actions.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Qatar has hosted multiple rounds of talks since April between the Congo and M23, mainly to set preconditions for a peace deal and agree on confidence-building steps, but both sides still accuse each other of violating peace terms and fighting has continued.
—CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
Trump is fully capable of spinning a narrative that would claim one of those preconditions, even while having no resemblance to the truth.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Build Preconditions First Start with the preconditions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
However, the late Tuesday decision handed down by Judge Amit Mehta, who has been overseeing the Google Search antitrust trial, prevents Alphabet from paying for contracts with preconditions such as making its Google Search the exclusive search option.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The first step—which could be agreed in days—is an immediate cease-fire along current front lines, without any preconditions or promises beyond starting talks.
—Miriam Sapiro, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preconditions
Noun
-
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the latest effort Friday to ensure that drivers meet the federal requirements to understand English well enough to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement officers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Bell also said that the agency, which sets infectious disease reporting requirements, hasn’t considered adding hospitalizations to the list because the primary purpose of public health surveillance is to understand disease transmission, frequency and distribution — not to track complications.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Debate grows in Miami Cuban Americans in Miami who have been helping their relatives on the island by paying for medicines, food and other necessities to be delivered to them in the country will see their options shrink fast too.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Koch told senators that the IURC already allows for two 10-day periods without disconnection for those with medical necessities.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Poor weather and battlefield obscurants continue to endanger warfighters as adversaries rely on these conditions to escape attacks.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
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Weather is transient by its very nature — a similar weather pattern might affect an environment differently depending on the preexisting conditions — and comprehensive datasets aren’t really available.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Distance and safety became prerequisites for healing.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But experiencing failure and learning to recover from it are prerequisites for long-term success and, crucially, for mental health.—
Russell Shaw,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preconditions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preconditions. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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