Preface
Meaning of Preface
An introduction at the start of a book; to introduce.
ما معنى كلمة Preface بالعربي؟
مُقدمة الكتاب
📖✍️ مُقدمة الكتاب التي تُمهد للمحتوى؛ كلمات افتتاحية تُعرف بالموضوع؛ تمهيد أولي يُهيئ القارئ لفهم ما سيأتي ويُوضح الهدف من العمل 📖🎯
قصة GL: التمهيد الصحيح يضمن الفهم - مثل مقدمة الكتاب المُهمة، يُصمم التعلم الجيني مقدمات تعليمية مُتدرجة تُهيئ العقل لاستقبال المعلومات المُعقدة بسهولة 🧠
Preface in a sentence
The preface to the manual explains the study design.
A preface sets the tone of the report.
The preface to a statute may state its purpose.
The preface prepares the reader.
Origin of Preface
From Old French preface, from Latin praefatio 'a saying beforehand'.
In the Genetic Learning (GL) context
In Genetic Learning work led by Naif Talal Al-Essa, preface sets the scene. Each GL course starts with a short preface.
Preface audio micro-course (transcript)
Podcast 1 — Introduction & meaning
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.
Read podcasts 2 and 3
Podcast 2 — In conversation
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!
Podcast 3 — Prompt engineering
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.
Frequently asked questions about Preface
What does Preface mean?
An introduction at the start of a book; to introduce.
ما معنى كلمة Preface بالعربي؟
مُقدمة الكتاب — 📖✍️ مُقدمة الكتاب التي تُمهد للمحتوى؛ كلمات افتتاحية تُعرف بالموضوع؛ تمهيد أولي يُهيئ القارئ لفهم ما سيأتي ويُوضح الهدف من العمل 📖🎯
How do you pronounce Preface?
Preface is pronounced /ˈprefəs/ and is used as a noun / verb.
How is Preface used in a sentence?
The preface to the manual explains the study design.
What are synonyms of Preface?
foreword, introduction, prologue, preamble, opening, prelude.