Meanings
preface1
nounpreface (plural prefaces)
plural prefaces · alternative præface · alternative Preface
- A beginning or introductory portion that comes before the main text of a document or book, typically serving to contextualize or explain the writing of the book and sometimes to acknowledge others' contributions; especially, such a discussion written by the work's own author.
Holonyms: front matter, prelims
1 more example
The book included a brief preface explaining the author's motivations for writing.
- An introduction, or series of preliminary remarks.
Heav'ns high behest no preface needs.
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC2 more examples
This superficial tale / Is but a preface of her worthy praise.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 118And now, without any further preface, we proceed to our next chapter.
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 7
verbpreface (third-person singular simple present prefaces, present participle prefacing, simple past and past participle prefaced)
present singular third person prefaces · participle present prefacing · participle past prefaced · past prefaced · alternative præface · alternative Preface
- transitiveTo give a preface to.
to preface a book
Preface2
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpraefātiō“a saying beforehand”
- Medieval Latinprefātia
- Old Frenchpreface
- Middle Englishpreface
- Englishpreface
Late 14th century, from Middle English preface, prefas, from Old French preface (from which derives the modern French préface), from Medieval Latin prefātia, for classical Latin praefātiō (“a saying beforehand”), from praefor (“to speak beforehand”), from prae- (“beforehand”) + for (“to speak”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek προοίμιον
- προοίμιον (prooímion)introduction before the main text
Arabic مُقَدِّمَة
- مُقَدِّمَة (muqaddima)introduction before the main text
Bulgarian пре́дговор, предисло́вие
- пре́дговор (prédgovor)introduction before the main text
- предисло́вие (predislóvie)introduction before the main text
Catalan prefaci
- prefaciintroduction before the main text
Chinese Mandarin 序言, 序文
- 序言 (xùyán)introduction before the main text
- 序文 (xùwén)introduction before the main text
- 前言 (qiányán)introduction before the main text
- 緒言 /绪言 (xùyán)introduction before the main text
- 頌謝詞 /颂谢词 (sòngxiècí)prayer before the canon of the Mass
Czech předmluva, úvod
- předmluvaintroduction before the main text
- úvodintroduction before the main text
Danish forord
- forordintroduction before the main text
Dutch voorwoord, voorrede
- voorwoordintroduction before the main text
- voorredeintroduction before the main text
Estonian eessõna
- eessõnaintroduction before the main text
Finnish alkusanat, johdanto
- alkusanatintroduction before the main text
- johdantointroduction before the main text
French préface, préface
- préfaceintroduction before the main text
- préfaceprayer before the canon of the Mass
- préfacerto introduce a text
German Vorwort, Vorrede
- Vorwortintroduction before the main text
- Vorredeintroduction before the main text
- Präfationprayer before the canon of the Mass
Greek πρόλογος, προλογίζω
- πρόλογος (prólogos)introduction before the main text
- προλογίζω (prologízo)to introduce a text
Hindi प्रस्तावना
- प्रस्तावना (prastāvnā)introduction before the main text
Hungarian előszó, prefáció
- előszóintroduction before the main text
- prefációprayer before the canon of the Mass
Indonesian kata pengantar, sekapur sirih
- kata pengantarintroduction before the main text
- sekapur sirihintroduction before the main text
- mukadimahintroduction before the main text
- prefasiprayer before the canon of the Mass
Irish réamhrá
- réamhráintroduction before the main text
Italian prefazione, proemio
- prefazioneintroduction before the main text
- proemiointroduction before the main text
- introduzioneintroduction before the main text
- prefazioprayer before the canon of the Mass
Japanese 序文, 前書き
- 序文 (jobun)introduction before the main text
- 前書き (maegaki)introduction before the main text
Korean 서문, 머리말
- 서문 (seomun)introduction before the main text
- 머리말 (meorimal)introduction before the main text
- 발간사 (balgansa)introduction before the main text
Latin praefātiō, prohoemium
- praefātiōintroduction before the main text
- prohoemiumintroduction before the main text
- praefātiōprayer before the canon of the Mass
Latvian priekšvārds
- priekšvārdsintroduction before the main text
Lithuanian pratarmė
- pratarmėintroduction before the main text
Malay mukadimah
- mukadimahintroduction before the main text
Māori kupu takamua, kupu whakataki
- kupu takamuaintroduction before the main text
- kupu whakatakiintroduction before the main text
Norwegian Bokmål forord
- forordintroduction before the main text
Polish wstęp, przedmowa
- wstępintroduction before the main text
- przedmowaintroduction before the main text
Portuguese prefácio, prefaciar
- prefáciointroduction before the main text
- prefaciarto introduce a text
Romanian prefață
- prefațăintroduction before the main text
Russian предисло́вие, введе́ние
- предисло́вие (predislóvije)introduction before the main text
- введе́ние (vvedénije)introduction before the main text
- проло́г (prológ)introduction before the main text
- вступле́ние (vstuplénije)introduction before the main text
- предваря́ть (predvarjátʹ)to introduce a text
- предпосыла́ть (predposylátʹ)to introduce a text
Scottish Gaelic ro-ràdh
- ro-ràdhintroduction before the main text
Slovak predhovor, predslov
- predhovorintroduction before the main text
- predslovintroduction before the main text
- úvodintroduction before the main text
Spanish prefacio, prefacio
- prefaciointroduction before the main text
- prefacioprayer before the canon of the Mass
- introducirto introduce a text
- prologarto introduce a text
Swedish förord
- förordintroduction before the main text
Tagalog pambungad
- pambungadintroduction before the main text
Thai คำนำ
- คำนำ (kam-nam)introduction before the main text
Turkish önsöz
- önsözintroduction before the main text
Ukrainian передмо́ва
- передмо́ва (peredmóva)introduction before the main text
Urdu دِیباچَہ, مُقَدَّمَہ
- دِیباچَہ (dībāca)introduction before the main text
- مُقَدَّمَہ (muqaddama)introduction before the main text
- تَمْہِید (tamhīd)introduction before the main text
Vietnamese lời tựa
- lời tựaintroduction before the main text
Welsh rhagair
- rhagairintroduction before the main text
Yiddish הקדמה, האַגדאָמע
- הקדמה (hakdome)introduction before the main text
- האַגדאָמע (hagdome)introduction before the main text
Cite this entry
APA
preface. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preface
MLA
“preface.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preface. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preface,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preface.
Source: preface on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.