exordium

noun

eg-ˈzȯr-dē-əm How to pronounce exordium (audio)
Definition of exordiumnext
as in preface
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part in his exordium the author warns his readers that they should expect a radically different interpretation of the causes of the war

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exordium
  1. preface
  2. introduction
  3. foreword
  4. prologue
Noun
  • Li offers hints of how Field and Adelaide’s destiny came to pass, with a preface and short flash-forward scenes that striate the narrative.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • So reads the first line in the preface of the first edition (1768) of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
    — Murasaki Shikibu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of preface
Noun
  • This was three years before the introduction of Tesla’s Autopilot, five years before Waymo spun out of the Google self-driving car project, and seven years before the first commercial robotaxi service got underway (in Arizona, not Nevada).
    — Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Both Wickersham’s 13-page introduction to the book and the foreword by ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson concentrate on the craft of writing.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of introduction
Noun
  • The deluxe book features a foreword from Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, a history of the 101’ers by band member Richard Nother Dudanski, plus Strummer’s own writings and illustrations.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026
  • According to Complex, Kid Rock elaborates on a different, higher profile collaboration on his forthcoming album in the project’s foreword.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of foreword
Noun
  • Mazzoli’s score has its moments of playfulness, starting with the prologue in which the chorus members blow into kazoos.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Proceedings kicked off Saturday with MipJunior, the kids & family prolog to Mipcom proper.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of prologue
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Exordium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exordium. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about exordium

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