as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
a noted critic has written a short preface to her story to explain some of the historical background
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Recent Examples of preface
The muses promised fame and fortune to artists who followed them, but are rarely mentioned by name in the prologues and prefaces of artworks today.
—
Alison Habens, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024
In her preface to a reissued edition of the novel, Segal remembers being housed in a camp during a frigid English winter.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
The reissue contains a new preface by Benjamin Moser, the biographer of Susan Sontag, one of Hujar’s dear friends, who wrote the introduction to the first edition, and also appears in an iconic picture therein, recumbent with upraised arms folded to cradle her head.
—Jackson Davidow, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
The report is typically published alongside the company's financial statements—often as a preface.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preface 
Alison Habens, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024
In her preface to a reissued edition of the novel, Segal remembers being housed in a camp during a frigid English winter.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
The reissue contains a new preface by Benjamin Moser, the biographer of Susan Sontag, one of Hujar’s dear friends, who wrote the introduction to the first edition, and also appears in an iconic picture therein, recumbent with upraised arms folded to cradle her head.
—Jackson Davidow, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
The report is typically published alongside the company's financial statements—often as a preface.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preface
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Cite this Entry
“Preface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preface. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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