pretreatment

1 of 2

noun

pre·​treat·​ment ˌprē-ˈtrēt-mənt 

variants or pre-treatment

plural pretreatments or pre-treatments

: an act or instance of treating someone or something in advance : preliminary or preparatory treatment

pretreatment of stains

pretreatment of a surface for painting

… pretreatment is often required to remove oil and grease from the waste water.

—John H. Sheridan

… will allow public works crews to apply salt brine to pre-treat city streets before snow events. The pre-treatment creates an additional layer that helps to melt snow …

—Kevin Thompkins

A drug called atropine can reverse the effects if administered promptly, and pretreatment with pyridostigmine can help shield the body …

—Adam Rogers

also : a substance used for such treatment

Oils give great shine, but I also use them as a pretreatment to prevent damage prior to coloring my natural hair.

—Deena Campbell

pretreatment

2 of 2

adjective

variants or pre-treatment

1

: existing or occurring before treatment

the pretreatment period

a pretreatment condition

the patient's pretreatment drug regimen

When treatment was discontinued, the condition of treated nasal muscles quickly returned to pretreatment levels.

—Michael Vaiman et al.

2

: of, relating to, or being a pretreatment

a waste pretreatment facility/system

The current chemical pretreatment process uses relatively harsh conditions to break down the tough structure of grass and other biomass.

—Phys.org

In my weekly Ask a Clean Person columns, I talk a lot about laundry boosters and stain pretreatment products …

—Jolie Kerr

Examples of pretreatment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dawn works great as a pretreatment or spot treatment. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025

Forgetting to Pretreat Seeds Some seeds need pretreatment. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2025

Emerging technologies are capable of treating leachate more efficiently, reducing the need for energy-intensive pretreatment processes. —Dan Kelly, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

This solution is then sprayed on the roads as a pretreatment for icy roads. —Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pretreatment

• maltreatment
• mistreatment
• posttreatment
• treatment

Medical Definition

pretreatment

1 of 2 noun

pre·​treat·​ment -mənt 

: preliminary or preparatory treatment

unsuccessful … in preventing tumor growth by pretreatment with vitamin A in mice

—E. L. Felix et al.

pretreatment

2 of 2 adjective

: occurring in or typical of the period prior to treatment

a patient's pretreatment blood pressure