Word Root: pre

1 preamble     

n. introductory statement; introductory paragraph or division of discourse or writing

2 prearrange     

v. arrange beforehand

3 precarious     

a. uncertain; risky; dangerously lacking in security or stability

4 precaution     

n. an action that is done to prevent something unpleasant or dangerous happening

5 precede     

v. come before in order or position; go in front or ahead of

6 precedence     

n. fact, state, or right of preceding; priority; previous occurrence, or existence before; preceding act or speech

7 precedent     

n. act or instance that may be used as example in subsequent similar cases

8 preceding     

a. ahead; before; existing or happening before someone or something

9 precept     

n. rule or principle prescribing particular action or conduct; authorized direction or order

10 precinct     

n. district or division of city; place or enclosure by definite limits

11 precious     

a. of high worth or cost

12 precipice     

n. cliff; overhanging or extremely steep mass of rock; dangerous position

13 precipitate     

a. rash; moving rapidly and heedlessly; speeding headlong; occurring suddenly

14 precipitous     

a. extremely steep; descending rapidly, or rushing onward

15 precis     

n. concise summing up of main points

16 precise     

a. exact; clearly expressed; accurate or correct

17 precisely     

ad. in a precise manner; just as it should be; indicating exactness or preciseness

18 precision     

n. exactness; accuracy; the number of significant digits to which a value has been reliably measured

19 preclude     

v. make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent; eliminate

20 precocious     

a. showing mental development or achievement much earlier than usual; appearing or developing early

21 precook     

v. cook food beforehand to shortened the cooking or heating time when eating it

22 precursor     

n. forerunner; one who precedes an event and indicates its approach

23 predatory     

a. living by preying on other animals

24 predecessor     

n. former occupant of post; ancestor or forefather

25 predetermine     

v. determine, decide, or establish in advance; influence markedly

26 predicament     

n. tricky or dangerous situation; dilemma; troublesome

27 predict     

v. state, tell about, or make known in advance, especially based on special knowledge

28 predictability     

n. likelihood; quality of being predictable

29 predictable     

a. expectable; likely; capable of being predicted or foretold

30 prediction     

n. something foretold or predicted; prophecy

31 predilection     

n. condition of favoring or liking; tendency towards; preference

32 predispose     

v. give inclination toward; make susceptible to; settle or dispose of in advance

33 predisposition     

n. state of being predisposed; tendency or inclination

34 predominant     

a. most frequent or common; having superior power and influence

35 predominantly     

ad. mainly; much greater in number or influence

36 predominate     

v. be larger in number, quantity, power, status, or importance

37 preeminent     

a. outstanding; superior to or notable above all others

38 preempt     

v. appropriate, seize, or take for oneself before others; gain possession of by prior right or opportunity

39 preface     

n. a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

40 preferable     

a. more desirable or worthy than another; better or more suitable

41 preference     

n. a strong liking; favorite

42 pregnancy     

n. condition of being pregnant; fruitfulness; fertility

43 pregnant     

a. expecting a baby; carrying within the body or being about to produce new life

44 prehensile     

a. capable of grasping or holding; having a keen intellect

45 prejudice     

n. an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling; leaning toward one side of a question

46 prelude     

n. introduction; forerunner; preliminary or preface

47 premature     

a. too soon; too early; occurring before a state of readiness

48 premeditate     

v. plan, arrange or plot in advance; deliberate upon future action

49 premiere     

a. first public performance, as of a movie or play; premier

50 premise     

n. a proposition upon which an argument is based; assumption; land and the buildings on it

51 premium     

n. prize or award offered free or at a reduced price after buying something else; payment for insurance

52 premonition     

n. a feeling that something, especially something unpleasant, is going to happen

53 preoccupied     

a. absorbed in thought; engrossed; excessively concerned with something; formerly occupied

54 preoccupy     

v. occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance

55 prepaid     

a. paid for earlier; paid already

56 prepare     

v. expect that something will happen and to be ready for it

57 preponderance     

n. superiority in numbers or amount

58 preposterous     

a. contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; very silly or stupid; ridiculous

59 prerequisite     

n. something that is required in advance; necessity; required as a prior condition

60 prerogative     

n. privilege; unquestionable right; exclusive power to command

61 presage     

v. foretell or predict; indicate or warn of in advance

62 preschool     

n. an educational institution for children too young for elementary school

63 prescience     

n. ability to foretell the future; knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foresight

64 prescribe     

v. dictate; guide; advise the use of; assert a right; claim

65 prescribed     

a. set down as a rule or guide; stated

66 prescription     

n. written instructions from a doctor; written order; an act of establishing official rules, laws, or directions

67 presence     

n. state of being present; current existence

68 presentation     

n. show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view

69 presentiment     

n. the sense that something is about to occur; anticipatory fear; premonition

70 preservation     

n. conservation; the act of keeping something the same or of preventing it from being damaged

71 preservative     

n. something used to preserve, especially a chemical added to foods to inhibit spoilage

72 preserve     

v. uphold or retain; maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm

73 preside     

v. be set, or to sit, in the place of authority; occupy the place of president, chairman, moderator, director; direct, control, and regulate, as chief officer

74 presidency     

n. office and function of the president; tenure of a president

75 pressure     

n. stress; tension; condition of being pressed

76 prestige     

n. impression produced by achievements or reputation; recognized distinction or importance

77 prestigious     

a. honored; respected; reputed; exerting influence by reason of high status

78 presumable     

a. supposed to be accurate; reasonable as a supposition

79 presumably     

ad. assumedly; supposedly; used to say what you think is the likely situation

80 presume     

v. take for granted as true in the absence of proof; venture without authority

81 presumption     

n. the act of believing that something is true without having any proof; belief upon incomplete proof

82 presumptuous     

a. overconfident; going beyond what is right or proper; excessively forward

83 pretend     

v. act so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not

84 pretense     

n. act of giving a false appearance; imaginative intellectual play

85 pretension     

n. advancing of a claim; assertion; a false or unsupportable quality

86 pretentious     

a. intended to attract notice and impress others; making unjustified claims; overly ambitious

87 preternatural     

a. being beyond the normal course of nature; differing from natural

88 pretext     

n. excuse; something serving to conceal plans; the fictitious reason

89 prevail     

v. induce; be greater in strength or influence; triumph; win out

90 prevailing     

a. most frequent; widespread; predominant

91 prevalent     

a. widespread; widely or commonly occurring, existing, accepted

92 prevaricate     

v. lie; stray from or evade the truth; behave in an evasive way such as to delay action

93 previous     

a. existing or occurring before something else

94 prey     

n. target of a hunt; animal hunted or caught for food