Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: French
Origin: préambule, from Late Latin praeambulus 'walking in front'

preamble

 noun
     
pre‧am‧ble [uncountable and countable]
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).
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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