preempt

/ˌpɹiːˈɛmpt/

//ˌpɹiːˈɛmpt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"preempt" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“preempt” is uncommon English (frequency #56,988 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,988
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To appropriate first.

Corpus desk

Index EN-preempt · preempt · English

preempt · rank #56,988 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,988
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH precession

Nearest frequency peer: precession (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “preempt”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “preempt” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for preempt
PropertyValue
Headwordpreempt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌpɹiːˈɛmpt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#56,988
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “preempt” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).preemptfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “precession” (#56,987), “prefectural” (#56,989), “Prichard” (#56,990). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “preempt” is #56,988. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

preempt is uncommon English at frequency #56,988 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌpɹiːˈɛmpt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

preempt doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from preemption. The correct English form is preempt, spelled P-R-E-E-M-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To appropriate first.
  2. 2
    To displace or take the place of (by having higher precedence, etc).
  3. 3
    To prevent or beat to the punch, to forestall an expected occurrence by acting first.
  4. 4
    To secure (land, etc.) by the right of preemption (purchasing before others, e.g. land because one already occupies it).
  5. 5
    To make a preemptive bid at bridge.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how preempt appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He preempted that hill to be its king.
  2. When they have preempted their ground [=their particular teat] they want to keep it, so you often see a fight, but see that there is only one claim made and then the old sow will not be disturbed. When once ranged they will always seek the same place.

Etymology

Back-formation from preemption.

Synonyms

ninja

This word in other languages

zuvorkommen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "preempt"?
"preempt" is spelled P-R-E-E-M-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɹiːˈɛmpt/.
What does "preempt" mean?
As a verb, "preempt" means: To appropriate first.
How do you pronounce "preempt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preempt" is /ˌpɹiːˈɛmpt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "preempt"?
Back-formation from preemption. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "preempt", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

phoneme#56,976Philbin#56,974paddies#56,960riposte#57,023

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list