preemptive
Other forms: preemptively
A preemptive action is made to keep some other action from being taken. Before you could be accused of eating the whole cake, you decided to make a preemptive apology, which was met with awkward silence.
Tired of being disturbed by your roommate's loud music, your preemptive strike was to crank up your favorite opera as soon as you arrived home. Unfortunately, he'd already made a preemptive strike of his own by borrowing your stereo. Don't confuse preemptive with peremptory, a word meaning “arrogant.” You don't have to be arrogant to make a preemptive move, just cautious.
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designed or having the power to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence
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Vocabulary lists containing preemptive
Darius has always struggled to fit in: he suffers from depression, he is bullied at school, and he can never seem to meet his father's high expectations. When Darius's family travels to Iran to visit his grandparents, Darius finds a place where he belongs, and a true friendship, for the first time.
Teenagers Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters form an intense bond when they meet in a cancer support group in Indiana.
After relocating to Austin, Texas, a Canadian teenager attempts to make sense of American culture.