preamble

noun

ˈprē-ˌam-bəl How to pronounce preamble (audio)
Definition of preamblenext
1
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event the round of hors d'oeuvres was merely the preamble to an evening of lavish feasting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part an insightful analysis of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of preamble This year, however, the marketing language seemed dialed up to 11, with a lot of preamble throughout the 75-minute keynote. — Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026 This essay opens with a preamble that directly addresses your audience. — Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 The Illinois budget and good policies are the catalyst to achieving the goals in the preamble. — Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026 The preamble to the code recognizes that visual journalists are trustees of the public by providing independent, diverse views of events and issues and exposing wrongdoing. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for preamble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preamble
  1. prelude
  2. introduction
  3. preliminary
  4. preface
  5. foreword
Noun
  • But that ticket surge was just a prelude for the Sixers signing LeBron James to a two-year, $8 million contract later that month.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The beginning of Between Worlds functions as a kind of prelude, offering a straightforward primer on Said.
    — Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of prelude
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
  • This year’s Miss World competition recently made headlines during the preliminaries when Ugandan delegate Elle Muhoza made a powerful fashion statement.
    — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But all of that was just the preliminaries for Grady Emerson.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026
Definition of preliminary
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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

preadolescences
preamble
preambles
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on preamble

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about preamble

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