as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
a noted critic has written a short preface to her story to explain some of the historical background
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of preface
Writing on the seventieth anniversary of the war’s end, in the preface to his magisterial The German War (2015), Oxford’s Nicholas Stargardt described the book’s genesis a decade earlier, in 2005.
—
Chris Doyle, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025
As for Dickinson, his starring roles in Babygirl, The Iron Claw, and Triangle of Sadness preface his take on John Lennon.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2025
Injuries weren’t the Lions’ only problem Let’s preface this section by acknowledging that the Lions’ defense was decimated by injuries before the game and then lost starting corner Amik Robertson early in the contest.
—Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
To preface, the Dodgers don't need to trade Lux.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preface
Chris Doyle, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025
As for Dickinson, his starring roles in Babygirl, The Iron Claw, and Triangle of Sadness preface his take on John Lennon.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2025
Injuries weren’t the Lions’ only problem Let’s preface this section by acknowledging that the Lions’ defense was decimated by injuries before the game and then lost starting corner Amik Robertson early in the contest.
—Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
To preface, the Dodgers don't need to trade Lux.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preface
Noun
-
Make introductions between contacts who could benefit from knowing each other.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
The other teams in Group E include Inter and Monterrey. Sergio Ramos – Monterrey Ramos needs no introduction.—
Ajay Rose,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Richard O’Brien, who wrote the musical stage show in 1973, wrote the foreword for the book.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
-
Kennedy wrote the foreword to Lies My Gov’t Told Me and wrote an endorsement for PsyWar, alleging that the same techniques that the Malones described shaped public reaction to the assassinations of his father and uncle.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preface. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share