Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Preface for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Preface" — noun, pronounced /ˈprefəs/, with the stress on "pref".
Narrator: A preface is an introduction at the start of a book, usually written by the author.
Narrator: In plain English, it tells you why the book was written.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin praefatio, a saying beforehand.
Narrator: A common collocation is "in the preface", which describes where authors explain their aims.
Narrator: It differs from "foreword", because a foreword is usually written by someone else.
Narrator: As a verb, to preface a remark means to begin it with something, such as a warning.
Narrator: Publishing, academia, speeches and law all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: a preface is the author's opening word.
Speaker A: Should I skip the preface of a book?
Speaker B: Maybe not! PREFACE comes from the Latin for speaking beforehand, so it explains the author's purpose.
Speaker A: And it can be a verb too?
Speaker B: Yes, you can preface a comment.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "The author thanks her family in the preface", a book detail. "He prefaced his speech with a joke", a verb use. "Read the preface to the second edition", a study tip.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Pronounce it "PREF-iss", not "pre-FACE", and do not spell it prefice.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Foreword is its guest cousin, introduction is its twin, and prologue is the storytelling alternative, but preface keeps its bookish charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "preface" in AI prompts — useful for self-publishing tools and presentation writing.
Speaker A: How would self-publishing use it?
Speaker B: Give the book's purpose.
Prompt: Write a three-paragraph preface for my cookbook explaining why I collected my grandmother's recipes.
Speaker A: And presentations?
Speaker B: Use the verb sense.
Prompt: Suggest a short, friendly way to preface my talk with a warning that the data is still provisional.
Speaker A: Could it help editing?
Speaker B: Yes, checking front matter.
Prompt: Check whether this book's front matter needs a preface, a foreword or both, and explain the difference.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Academic writing.
Prompt: Draft a concise preface for my thesis that acknowledges my supervisor and funding body.
Preface — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary