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What is "pre-emption"

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
pre-emption

also preemption, c.1600, literally "the right of purchasing before others," from pre- "before" + emption.

Wiktionary
pre-emption

n. (alternative spelling of preemption English)

WordNet
pre-emption

  1. n. the judicial principle asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject [syn: preemption]

  2. the right of a government to seize or appropriate something (as property) [syn: preemption]

  3. the right to purchase something in advance of others [syn: preemption]

  4. a prior appropriation of something; "the preemption of bandwidth by commercial interests" [syn: preemption]

Usage examples of "pre-emption".

To feed the oxen, the district administrators will take by pre-emption the necessary fields and pasturages, etc.