introduction

n.

1. The act of bringing in

   admittance, initiation, inception, installation, influx, ingress, institution, induction, inauguration, launching, debut; see also entrance 1.

2. The act of making strangers acquainted

   presentation, debut, meeting, formal acquaintance, preliminary encounter.

3. Introductory knowledge

   initiation, first acquaintance, elementary statement, first contact, start, awakening, enlightenment, first taste, baptism, preliminary training, basic principles; see also initiation 1.

4. An introductory explanation

   preface, foreword, preamble, prologue, prefatory note, prelude, overture, intro*, opening*, proem*, prolegomena, dedication. *

5. A work supplying introductory knowledge

   primer, basic text, beginner's book, elements, foundation, manual, handbook, first book, grammar, survey, essentials; see also book 1, text 1.

introduction, in strict usage, refers to the preliminary section of a book, etc. that explains and leads into the subject proper; preface refers to a statement preliminary to a book, written by the author or editor and explaining the purpose, plan, or preparation of the work; the preface may also include acknowledgments for help or for permissions granted for use of previously published material; foreword is a brief preface written by someone other than the author; preamble refers to a formal, but usually brief, introduction to a constitution, treaty, etc.; prologue applies to the preliminary section as of a play or poem, serving as an introduction and, in the play, frequently spoken by one of the characters