preempt

verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈem(p)t 

preempted; preempting; preempts

transitive verb

1

: to acquire (something, such as land) by preemption

2

: to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself

the movement was then preempted by a lunatic fringe

3

a

: to replace with something considered to be of greater value or priority : take precedence over

the program did not appear, having been preempted by a baseball game

—Robert MacNeil

b

law : to replace or supersede (a law) or bar (an action) by the doctrine of preemption

In so doing, the Court held that Congress did not intend to preempt common law contract claims.

—Charas v. Trans World Airlines, Inc., 160 F.3d 1259 (1998)

4

: to gain a commanding or preeminent place in

5

: to prevent from happening or taking place : forestall, preclude

intransitive verb

: to make a preemptive bid in bridge

preemptor

prē-ˈem(p)-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• appropriate
• arrogate
• commandeer
• convert
• expropriate
• pirate
• press
• seize
• take over
• usurp

Examples of preempt in a Sentence

The contract preempts lawsuits by the company's clients.

The state law was preempted by a federal law.

The President's speech preempted regular programming.

Recent Examples on the Web

The state contends that Proposition R is preempted by Texas state law, including the Health and Safety Code - which criminalizes the possession of marijuana - and the Local Government Code - which obligates municipalities to enforce state drug laws fully. —Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

The California Restaurant Assn. sued and won, arguing that the gas ban was preempted by federal law. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

But Trump has been unable to restrain himself, his aides say, and has instead tried to preempt that reaction. —Eric Cortellessa / Gastonia, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024

But in a win for Republicans, the appeals court on Friday struck down the Mississippi measure, finding it is preempted by federal law. —Catherine Cole, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from preemption

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

preempt

verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈem(p)t 

1

a

: to settle upon (as public land) with the right to purchase before others

b

: to take by such a right

2

: to take before someone else can : appropriate

preempt a seat at the stadium

3

: to take the place of

the president's speech preempted the regular program

preemption

-ˈem(p)-shən

noun

preemptive

-ˈem(p)-tiv

adjective

preemptor

-tər 

noun

Legal Definition

preempt

transitive verb

pre·​empt prē-ˈempt 

1

a

: to acquire (land) by preemption

b

: to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself

a senior user of a trademark could not preempt use of the mark in remote geographical markets

—Mesa Springs Enterprises v. Cutco Indus., 736 P.2d 1251 (1986)

2

a

: to replace or supersede (a law) by preemption

such state laws are not preempted by the federal Energy Reorganization Act of 1974

—National Law Journal

b

: to preclude or bar (an action) by preemption

federal airline deregulation does not preempt claims under state contract law

—National Law Journal