PRE-: the Latin prefix meaning “before”

PRE- comes from Latin and means “before”. You can see it in precede, precedent and precise. WordPith uses it in 41 words.

Meaning: before
Origin: Latin
Type: Prefix
Word lists: Core Roots, French Cognates, GRE / GMAT, Law & Legal Latin, Medical Terms, SAT / ACT / PSAT, Spanish Cognates, Spelling Bee Roots, TOEFL / IELTS

Words built from PRE-

PRECEDE

precede

To come before

Latin praecedere, to go before.

PRECEDENT

precedent

An earlier decision that binds a later one

Latin praecedere, to go before. The common law runs on what went before.

PRECISE

precise

Exact, cut to the right place

Latin praecidere, to cut off in front: the edges trimmed until nothing is left over.

PRECISION

precision

Exactness

Latin praecidere, to cut short — the edges are trimmed clean.

PRECLUDE

preclude

To shut out in advance: to make impossible

Latin praecludere, to close beforehand. Include, exclude and seclude all close.

PREDECESSOR

predecessor

The one who held the post before

Latin praedecessor, one who goes away before.

PREDOMINANCE

predominance

Being the most common or most powerful

Latin praedominari, to rule over beforehand.

PREECLAMPSIA

preeclampsia

The dangerous state that precedes it

The condition every antenatal blood-pressure check is looking for.

PREEMINENT

preeminent

Standing out above all the others

Latin praeeminere, to project in front. Eminent and prominent stand out too.

PREFERENCE

preference

Liking one thing better than another

Latin praeferre, to carry in front.

PRELIMINARY

preliminary

Coming before the threshold of the main thing

Latin praeliminaris.

PREMATURE

premature

Happening too early

Compare Spanish prematuro.

PREMISE

premise

A statement an argument is built on

Latin praemittere, to send ahead — what is set down before the conclusion.

PREMONITION

premonition

A warning felt before the event

Latin praemonere, to warn beforehand.

PRENATAL

prenatal

Before birth

Before plus born.

PREPOSTEROUS

preposterous

Absurd

Latin praeposterus, before-behind: back to front, and so against all sense.

PRESCRIBE

prescribe

To lay down what should be done

To write beforehand. Proscribe forbids and prescribe orders, which is a costly pair to confuse.

PRESERVATION

preservation

Keeping something from harm or decay

Latin praeservare, to guard beforehand.

PRESERVE

preserve

To keep from harm or decay

Compare Spanish preservar.

PRESIDENT

president

The head of a state or organisation

Compare Spanish presidente. Latin praesidere, to sit in front.

PRESUME

presume

To assume without proof

Compare Spanish presumir.

PRETEND

pretend

To act as though something is true

Compare Spanish pretender. Latin praetendere, to stretch in front — to hold up a screen.

PRETENTIOUS

pretentious

Claiming more than is warranted

Latin praetendere, to stretch forth: to hold something out in front of what is really there.

PREVAIL

prevail

To win out, or to be widespread

Compare Spanish prevalecer.

PREVALENCE

prevalence

How widespread something is

Latin praevalere, to be stronger.

PREVALENT

prevalent

Widespread at the moment

Latin praevalere, to be stronger. To prevail is to be the stronger.

PREVENT

prevent

To stop from happening

Compare Spanish prevenir. Latin praevenire, to come before.

PRECEPT

precept

A rule for how to behave

Latin praeceptum, a thing taken beforehand — a teaching taken in advance of the case.

PRECIPICE

precipice

A very steep drop

Latin praeceps, headlong — head first over the edge.

PRECIPITATE

precipitate

To bring on suddenly; or headlong

Latin praeceps, headlong — head first off a cliff.

PRECURSOR

precursor

A forerunner: what ran ahead of this

Latin praecursor, one who runs before. In chemistry, the compound that comes first.

PREDICATE

predicate

To base one thing on another; or what a sentence asserts

Latin praedicare, to proclaim. Preach is the same proclaiming, worn down.

PREDILECTION

predilection

A settled preference

Latin praediligere, to choose before others.

PREDOMINATE

predominate

To be the strongest element

Latin praedominari, to rule before all others. The master of the house, scaled up.

PREEMPTIVE

preemptive

Taken first, to stop something happening

Latin prae-emere, to buy beforehand. Pre-emption began as a right of first purchase.

PRESAGE

presage

To be a sign of what is coming

Latin praesagire, to perceive beforehand. A sage perceives; a presage perceives early.

PRESCIENCE

prescience

Knowing what is coming

Latin praescientia. Usually claimed afterwards.

PRESCIENT

prescient

Knowing in advance

Knowing before. The word is usually applied after the fact.

PRECIS

precis

A summary

Compare French précis, cut short.

PRECLUSION

preclusion

Shutting something out in advance

Latin praecludere, to close beforehand.

More words with PRE-: prevaricate.

Quick check

1. Which word means: Before birth?

2. Which word means: To shut out in advance: to make impossible?

3. Which word means: Exactness?

Roots that pair with PRE-

-ENT one that, a thing that
-ION act, result
-ATE make, do; having; an office
-ENCE the state of
-OR thing that does
DOMIN master, lord
VAL strength, worth
SCI know
-CISE cut
-CLUDE shut, close
-ANCE the state of
-IA a condition, or a set

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