prefatory

English

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prefatory

/ˈpɹɛfət(ə)ɹi/ UK
/ˈpɹɛfəˌtɔɹi/ US

Where it comes from

From Medieval Latin *praefator + -ory (“agent”), from Medieval Latin prefatia (whence preface), for classical Latin praefatio (“a saying beforehand”) – see preface for details.

Note that this is borrowed from Latin, not derived in English from preface, as in occasional misspelling *prefecatory.

adjective more prefatory · most prefatory · præfatory

Serving as a preface or prelude; introductory, preliminary. We must begin by showing how the Diamond first fell into the hands of my uncle Herncastle, when he was serving in India fifty years since. This prefatory narrative I have already got by me in the form of an old family paper, which relates the necessary particulars on the authority of an eye-witness.

Translations

Every language

adj introductory

Español	introductorio, prefatorio
中文	前言的 qiányán de, 序言性的) xùyánxìng de
Português	prefatório
Français	préfatoire
Deutsch	präponierend, vorangestellt
Русский	вво́дный vvódnyj, вступи́тельный vstupítelʹnyj

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MLA

"prefatory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prefatory. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

prefatory. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prefatory

Chicago

"prefatory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prefatory.

BibTeX

@misc{prefatory_2026,
  title = {prefatory},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prefatory},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}