What does preamble mean?
Word: Preamble
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Preamble means a short opening statement that explains what a speech or document is about.
Synonyms: introduction, foreword
Word origin: Comes from Medieval Latin, from Latin praeambulus.
How do you spell preamble?
Syllables: pre - am - ble
Tricky part: The e and the a sit side by side and each is sounded. Pupils who hurry drop the a or double the e.
Watch out for: premble, preemble
Memory tip: Hear two separate beats in the first half, pree then am. Two beats, two vowels.
Preamble in a sentence
Example 1: The principal's preamble lasted ten minutes before she reached the prize list.
Example 2: The club's rulebook has a short preamble on why it was founded.
Example 3: Without any preamble, Dad announced that we were moving to Kochi.
Fun Fact
The Preamble to the Constitution of India opens with the words We, the People of India. It has been amended only once, in 1976.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Fusion
Choose the two parts that make a word for the opening section of a constitution:
1. per 2. amble 3. pro 4. ample 5. pre 6. ramble
a) 1 and 6
b) 5 and 2
c) 3 and 4
d) 3 and 2
Show answer
b) 5 and 2. Only that pair joins to make a real word with this meaning.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
12345678 lmbaeper
a) 68542317
b) 48562317
c) 68142357
d) 63542817
Show answer
a) 68542317. Read in that order, the letters give the word for an opening statement.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Preamble goes back to Latin praeambulus. What did praeambulus mean?
a) written down
b) going before
c) standing alone
d) speaking loudly
Show answer
b) going before. A preamble goes before the main text, which is just what the Latin says.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) preamble : conclusion
b) overture : finale
c) arrival : departure
d) prologue : epillogue
Show answer
d) prologue : epillogue. Epilogue takes a single l.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. 'Please skip the preamble,' said Mrs Nair. What did she want?
a) to reach the main point at once
b) to hear it all again later
c) to hear a longer and fuller talk
d) to take a short break first
Show answer
a) to reach the main point at once
2. Which of these could be a preamble to the rules of a school library?
a) The aim of these rules is to keep our library quiet.
b) Fines are two rupees for every day a book is late.
c) Signed by the librarian on 1 June 2026.
d) Return all books by Friday at the very latest.
Show answer
a) The aim of these rules is to keep our library quiet.
