Meanings
preemption1
plural preemptions · alternative archaic præemption · alternative archaic præ-emption · alternative pre-emption · alternative preëmption
- An act or process that preempts; a preventive or forestalling action; as:
- countableuncountableThe purchase of something before it is offered for sale to others.
- countableuncountablecomputingThe temporary interruption of a task without its cooperation and with the intention of resuming it at a later time.
Preemption2
- A township and census-designated place therein, in Mercer County, Illinois, United States.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe supersession of a conflicting law from a lower jurisdiction by an overlapping law from a higher jurisdiction.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe judicial principle asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject
nounthe right of a government to seize or appropriate something (as property)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
preemption · noun
- Latinprae-“before”
- Englishpreemption
From Medieval Latin praeēmptiō (“previous purchase”), from praeemō (“buy before”), from Latin prae- (“before”) + emō (“buy”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Preemption · proper noun
From the American spelling of pre-emption.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan preempció
- preempcióthe purchase of something before it is offered for sale
French préemption
- préemptionthe purchase of something before it is offered for sale
German Vorkauf, Präemption
- Vorkaufthe purchase of something before it is offered for sale
- Präemptioncomputing: temporary interruption of a process
- Vorrangwirkungthe displacement of a lower jurisdiction's laws when they conflict with those of a higher jurisdiction
Polish pierwokup, wywłaszczenie
- pierwokupthe purchase of something before it is offered for sale
- wywłaszczeniecomputing: temporary interruption of a process
Portuguese preempção, preempção
- preempçãothe purchase of something before it is offered for sale
- preempçãocomputing: temporary interruption of a process
Spanish preempción
- preempciónthe displacement of a lower jurisdiction's laws when they conflict with those of a higher jurisdiction
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
preemption. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preemption
“preemption.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preemption. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preemption,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preemption.
Source: preemption on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.