Pre definition

prē, pri
Before the usual or expected time for doing so.

Preapprove, preprogrammed.

affix
40
16
Preliminary to, in preparation for.

Preschool.

affix
37
15
Before in time, earlier (than), prior (to)

Presuppose, prewar.

affix
31
9
Before in rank, superior (to), surpassing.

Preeminent.

affix
14
7
Before in place, in front (of), anterior (to)

Preaxial.

affix
13
7
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Before (something significant).
preposition
4
2
Pre is defined as something that happens before the next word.

An example of the pre prefix is preschool or school you attend before you officially start school.

An example of the pre prefix is preheat, or to heat an oven before you put something in to cook.

prefix
3
3
(slang) Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate.
noun
1
3
(slang) To precum, to pre-ejaculate.
verb
1
3
Anterior; in front of.

Preaxial.

prefix
0
2
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Earlier; before; prior to.

Prehistoric.

prefix
0
2
Preparatory; preliminary.

Premedical.

prefix
0
2
In advance.

Prepay.

prefix
0
2

Origin of pre

  • ME < OFr & L: L prae- < prae, before, in front of < IE *prai, var. of base *per, beyond > fore, first

    From Webster's New World College Dictionary, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old French from Latin prae- from prae before, in front per1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Latin prae (“in front of"), see pre-

    From Wiktionary

  • From Wiktionary

Pre Sentence Examples

  • Guests are strongly advised to pre book these items ahead of their visit.

  • The same word does not appear elsewhere; but we find its two parts separately, such as Gurung pre, Murmi pre, Taksya phre and Takpa gyet, Serpa gye, Garo chet, &c. Rta (horse) is reduced to to in speech, but we find ri, rhyi, roh in Sokpa, Horpa, Tochu, Minyak, and td, tah, teh, t'ay in Lhopa, Serpa, Murmi, Kami, Takpa, &c., both with the same meaning.

  • Meanwhile Peter of Aragon was watching and pre the citizens of the great cities, a king would be acceptable; Peter was chosen with little opposition in a parliament at Palermo, and a struggle of twenty-one years began, of which Charles and Peter saw only the first stage.

  • There is, unfortunately, no easy answer to this, and much depends on how you were raised, your family's personal values, and the personality & past track record of your pre teenager.

  • The Palm Pre features a large touchscreen display, integrated camera, high-speed wireless data, and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

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Words near pre in the Dictionary