prepose
|pre-pose|
🇺🇸
/priːˈpoʊz/
🇬🇧
/priːˈpəʊz/
place/move before (move to the front)
Etymology
'prepose' originates from Latin, specifically the compound 'praeponere', where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'ponere' meant 'to place.'
'praeponere' existed in Classical/Medieval Latin as 'praepōnere' and the sense and elements ('prae-' + 'ponere') were brought into English formation patterns to produce 'prepose' (recorded in English from the 17th century onward, formed by prefixing pre- to base related to 'pose/ponere').
Initially it meant 'to place before' (literally), and over time the meaning broadened to include 'to prefer' or the specialized linguistic sense 'to move to an earlier position in word order.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to place or set before in position or order; to put something in front of something else.
The editor chose to prepose the introduction to the start of the book.
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Verb 2
to prefer or give priority to (something) over something else; to set as more important or earlier.
The committee seemed to prepose economic concerns over environmental ones.
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Verb 3
linguistics: to move (an element) to an earlier position in word order (e.g., preposing a modifier before the head).
In the analysis, the adjective was preposed before the noun for emphasis.
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Last updated: 2026/01/08 03:28