pre‧am‧ble /priˈæmb
əl $ ˈpriːæmb
əl/
noun [uncountable and countable][
Date: 1300-1400;
Language: French;
Origin: préambule, from Late Latin praeambulus 'walking in front']
formal a statement at the beginning of a book, document, or talk, explaining what it is about
preamble to
the preamble to the American Constitution Harding gave him the news without preamble (=without saying anything else before it). [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
introduction a written or spoken statement at the beginning of a book, speech, or meeting, giving a general idea of what it is about:
After a brief introduction by the chairman, the meeting began. The author outlines his methods of research in the introduction.preface a short piece of writing at the beginning of a book that says what the book is about or the reason for writing it:
In the preface, he explains his motives for returning to the subject of Middle Eastern politics.foreword a short introduction to a book or report, usually written by someone who is not the author:
Greene wrote the foreword to Suzmann’s book.prologue an introduction to a piece of writing, especially a play or a long poem:
the prologue to Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ The poem begins with a brief prologue.preamble a statement at the beginning of something, especially an official document, which explains what it is about:
the Preamble to the US Constitution [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲