preface

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pref·ace

(prĕf′ĭs)

a. A preliminary statement or essay introducing a book that explains its scope, intention, or background and is usually written by the author.

b. An introductory section, as of a speech.

2. Something introductory; a preliminary: An informal brunch served as a preface to the three-day conference.

3. often Preface The words introducing the central part of the Eucharist in several Christian churches.

tr.v. pref·aced, pref·ac·ing, pref·ac·es

1. To introduce by or provide with a preliminary statement or essay.

2. To serve as an introduction to.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praefātiō, praefātiōn-, from praefātus, past participle of praefārī, to say before : prae-, pre- + fārī, to speak; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]

pref′ac·er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

preface

(ˈprɛfɪs)

1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a statement written as an introduction to a literary or other work, typically explaining its scope, intention, method, etc; foreword

2. anything introductory

3. (Roman Catholic Church) RC Church a prayer of thanksgiving and exhortation serving as an introduction to the canon of the Mass

vb (tr)

4. to furnish with a preface

5. to serve as a preface to

[C14: from Medieval Latin praefātia, from Latin praefātiō a saying beforehand, from praefārī to utter in advance, from prae before + fārī to say]

ˈprefacer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pref•ace

(ˈprɛf ɪs)

n., v. -aced, -ac•ing. n.

1. a preliminary statement in a book by the author or editor, setting forth the book's purpose, acknowledging the assistance of others, etc.

2. an introductory part, as of a speech.

3. a preliminary or introductory event, circumstance, etc.

4. a prayer of thanksgiving, the introduction to the canon of the Mass, ending with the Sanctus.

v.t.

5. to provide with or introduce by a preface.

6. to serve as a preface to.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Medieval Latin prēfātia, for Latin praefātiō=praefā(rī) to say beforehand (see pre-, fate) + -tiō -tion]

pref′ac•er, n.

syn: See introduction.

preface

Past participle: prefaced
Gerund: prefacing

Imperative
preface
preface

Present
I preface
you preface
he/she/it prefaces
we preface
you preface
they preface

Preterite
I prefaced
you prefaced
he/she/it prefaced
we prefaced
you prefaced
they prefaced

Present Continuous
I am prefacing
you are prefacing
he/she/it is prefacing
we are prefacing
you are prefacing
they are prefacing

Present Perfect
I have prefaced
you have prefaced
he/she/it has prefaced
we have prefaced
you have prefaced
they have prefaced

Past Continuous
I was prefacing
you were prefacing
he/she/it was prefacing
we were prefacing
you were prefacing
they were prefacing

Past Perfect
I had prefaced
you had prefaced
he/she/it had prefaced
we had prefaced
you had prefaced
they had prefaced

Future
I will preface
you will preface
he/she/it will preface
we will preface
you will preface
they will preface

Future Perfect
I will have prefaced
you will have prefaced
he/she/it will have prefaced
we will have prefaced
you will have prefaced
they will have prefaced

Future Continuous
I will be prefacing
you will be prefacing
he/she/it will be prefacing
we will be prefacing
you will be prefacing
they will be prefacing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been prefacing
you have been prefacing
he/she/it has been prefacing
we have been prefacing
you have been prefacing
they have been prefacing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been prefacing
you will have been prefacing
he/she/it will have been prefacing
we will have been prefacing
you will have been prefacing
they will have been prefacing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been prefacing
you had been prefacing
he/she/it had been prefacing
we had been prefacing
you had been prefacing
they had been prefacing

Conditional
I would preface
you would preface
he/she/it would preface
we would preface
you would preface
they would preface

Past Conditional
I would have prefaced
you would have prefaced
he/she/it would have prefaced
we would have prefaced
you would have prefaced
they would have prefaced

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

preface

An introduction, often explaining the structure or purpose of what follows.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	preface - a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book foreword, prolusion text, textual matter - the words of something written; "there were more than a thousand words of text"; "they handed out the printed text of the mayor's speech"; "he wants to reconstruct the original text" introduction - the first section of a communication
Verb	1.	preface - furnish with a preface or introduction; "She always precedes her lectures with a joke"; "He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution" premise, precede, introduce preamble - make a preliminary introduction, usually to a formal document prologise, prologize, prologuize - write or speak a prologue say, state, tell - express in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"; "state your name"

preface

noun

1. introduction, preliminary, prelude, preamble, foreword, prologue, proem, prolegomenon, exordium the preface to the English edition of the novel

verb

1. introduce, precede, open, begin, launch, lead up to, prefix I will preface what I am going to say with a few lines from Shakespeare.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

preface

noun

A short section of preliminary remarks:

foreword, induction, introduction, lead-in, overture, preamble, prelude, prolegomenon, prologue.

verb

To begin (something) with preliminary or prefatory material:

introduce, lead, precede, usher in.

Translations

مُقَدِّمَه

předmluva

forordindledning

Einleitung

prefacio

alkusanatjohdanto

préface introduction

formáli, inngangur

prefazione preliminare fare una prefazione introdurre

priekšvārds

predhovor

predgovor

önsöz

前言序言

preface

[ˈprefɪs]

A. N → prólogo m, prefacio m

B. VT [+ book] → prologar
he prefaced this by saying that → a modo de prólogo a esto dijo que ..., introdujo este tema diciendo que ...
the book is prefaced by an essay → el libro tiene un ensayo a modo de prólogo
he has the irritating habit of prefacing his sentences with → tiene la molesta costumbre de comenzar las frases con ...

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

preface

[ˈprɛfəs]

n → préface f

vt → faire précéder
to preface sth with sth [+ speech, action] → faire précéder qch de qch
He prefaced his remark by saying that ... → En guise d'introduction, il a déclaré que ...
to be prefaced by sth → être précédé par qch

preface

n → Vorwort nt; (of speech) → Vorrede f

vt → einleiten; book → mit einem Vorwort versehen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

preface

[ˈprɛfɪs] n → prefazione f; (to speech) → introduzione f

preface

(ˈprefəs) noun

an introduction to a book etc. The preface explained how to use the dictionary.

References in classic literature ?

In the Preface to Bleak House I remarked that I had never had so many readers.

View in context

Two hundred years later, when The Vision of Piers the Ploughman was first printed, the printer in his preface explained alliterative verse very well.

View in context

IN offering this book to you, I have no Preface to write.

View in context

Without further preface then, I here present you with the labours of some years of my life.

View in context

In the preface to "Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz" I said I would like to write some stories that were not "Oz" stories, because I thought I had written about Oz long enough; but since that volume was published I have been fairly deluged with letters from children imploring me to "write more about Dorothy," and "more about Oz," and since I write only to please the children I shall try to respect their wishes.

View in context

AS a preface is the only place where an author can with propriety explain a purpose or apologize for shortcomings, I venture to avail myself of the privilege to make a statement for the benefit of my readers.

View in context

The poem styled "Romance," constituted the Preface of the

View in context

With him it is always "a drama of the interior, a tragedy or comedy of the soul, to see thereby how each soul becomes conscious of itself." In the Preface to the later edition of Sordello, Mr.

View in context

In reference to these gentry, I may here quote a few words from the original preface to this book.

View in context

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF AND NOW SET FORTH BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON WITH A PREFACE BY MRS.

View in context

I have stated in the preface to the first Edition of this work, and in the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, that it was in consequence of a wish expressed by Captain Fitz Roy, of having some scientific person on board, accompanied by an offer from him of giving up part of his own accommodations, that I volunteered my services, which received, through the kindness of the hydrographer, Captain Beaufort, the sanction of the Lords of the Admiralty.

View in context

He is charged on the one hand with having had before him a copy of Babrias (to whom we shall have occasion to refer at greater length in the end of this Preface), and to have had the bad taste "to transpose," or to turn his poetical version into prose: and he is asserted, on the other hand, never to have seen the Fables of Aesop at all, but to have himself invented and made the fables which he palmed off under the name of the famous Greek fabulist.