preclude

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *per-
Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-
Proto-Indo-European *-i
Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i?
Proto-Italic *prai
Proto-Italic *prai-
Latin prae-
Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w-der.
Proto-Italic *klaudō
Latin claudō
Latin praeclūderelbor.
English preclude

    Learned borrowing from Latin praeclūdere.

    Pronunciation

    • (US, UK) IPA(key): /pɹɪˈkluːd/, /pɹiːˈkluːd/
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • Rhymes: -uːd

    Verb

    preclude (third-person singular simple present precludes, present participle precluding, simple past and past participle precluded)

    1. (transitive) To prevent, to make impossible.
      • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Influence of an Invitation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 15:
        "Now, own the truth,—are you not very sorry that my having been in the opposition precludes your going to the most brilliant fête of the season?"
      • 1946 September and October, “Notes and News: Locomotive Whistle Gift”, in Railway Magazine, page 322:
        A chime whistle, presented to the L.M.S.R. by American model railway enthusiasts in 1939, is installed now as a works hooter at Crewe Works, as its height precludes its use on a British locomotive.
    2. (transitive) to remove the possibility from consideration; to rule out or exclude.
      It has been raining for days, but that doesn’t preclude the skies clearing by this afternoon!
      • 1962 October, G. Freeman Allen, “The New Look in Scotland's Northern Division—II”, in Modern Railways, page 271:
        This is of unusual importance at Perth, compared with other modern yards, because the restricted scope for layout development precluded provision of a separate track as a head shunt at the southern end of the yard site. When such a facility is required, the main line has to be employed.
    3. (transitive) To ban.
      • 2013 August 9, Douglas Main, “Israel Outlaws Water Fluoridation”, in livescience‎[1], archived from the original on 10 June 2026:
        Israel's decision to ban fluoridation follows a vote to preclude the practice in Portland, Ore., and Wichita, Kan. It was also recently overturned in Hamilton, the fourth most populous city in New Zealand.
    4. (transitive) To prevent by mutual exclusion; where one thing prevents another because they are mutually exclusive.
      • 2020 June 17, David Clough, “Then and now: trains through Crewe”, in Rail, page 61:
        All the overnight trains were composed of Mk 1 vehicles that had vacuum brakes. This precluded the use of new Class 87s, which only had train air braking equipment, [...].

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Translations

    See also

    Italian

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /preˈklu.de/
    • Rhymes: -ude
    • Hyphenation: pre‧clù‧de

    Verb

    preclude

    1. third-person singular present indicative of precludere
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