What does preclude mean?
Word: Preclude
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Preclude means to rule something out in advance, so that it cannot happen.
Antonyms: allow
How do you spell preclude?
Syllables: pre - clude
Tricky part: Prelude, a piece of music played before something else, is only one letter away, so the c is easily lost.
Watch out for: preclued, prelcude, preclud
Memory tip: Let the c that separates this word from prelude stand for cancel: to preclude a plan is to cancel it before it begins.
Preclude in a sentence
Example 1: A busy timetable does not preclude a daily walk in the park.
Example 2: Roads blocked by snow may preclude a visit to Leh in January.
Example 3: Being the youngest in the class did not preclude Aditi from leading the debate team.
Fun Fact
Preclude comes from a Latin verb meaning to shut off in advance. The picture behind it is a door closed before you can reach it.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are misspelt. Choose the meaning of the one spelt correctly.
1. presede 2. persuede 3. preclude 4. proclame
a) to announce something publicly and officially
b) to come before something in time
c) to keep something from ever taking place
d) to get someone to agree by giving good reasons
Show answer
c) to keep something from ever taking place. Preclude is the only correct spelling here; the others should be proclaim, precede and persuade.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
pr_cl_de
a) e, u
b) e, o
c) i, u
d) a, u
Show answer
a) e, u. The prefix is the pre of prepare and the vowel after the l is a long u.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
A few dark clouds did not pelucedr us from having our picnic by the lake.
a) conclude
b) exclude
c) protrude
d) preclude
Show answer
d) preclude. There is a c and a p among the jumbled letters, but no n, o, t or x, which leaves only one choice.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word preclude as used in the sentence:
The steep road should not preclude a cycle ride to Kabir's school.
a) prevent
b) encourage
c) require
d) reward
Show answer
a) prevent. The steep road is not going to stop the ride, and that is the sense here.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The rules preclude late entries. What happens to a form handed in after the closing date?
a) It is checked before the others
b) It is marked with a small penalty
c) It is moved to the next round
d) It is turned down by the organisers
Show answer
d) It is turned down by the organisers
2. What would most likely preclude a cricket match from starting on time?
a) a waterlogged pitch after overnight rain
b) a fresh coat of paint on the pavilion
c) a new scoreboard beside the boundary
d) a long queue at the ticket gate
Show answer
a) a waterlogged pitch after overnight rain
