 pre-  =before, in advance

preapprove ● to authorize or give permission in advance

 The Greens were preapproved for their loan from the bank.  Will you preapprove my topic for the informative speech?

precaution ● a measure taken in advance to prevent harm

 Wearing gloves while assisting an injured person is an example of a universal precaution.  The manager placed a “wet floor” sign on the tile as a safety precaution.

precede ● to come before something else in time, order, or rank

 In social studies this year, we will learn that the Pony Express preceded the telegraph.  Take time to read the introduction that precedes the main selection.

predict ● to say what will happen before it occurs

 Scientists predict that the drought will have severe effects on plant life.  I predict that you will be successful in the future, due to your responsibility and character.

prefix ● a syllable or word that comes before a root word to change its meaning

 We will be focusing on learning the meaning of many prefixes.  The prefix “post” means “after”.

prejudge ● to make a decision before you have all of the facts

 Have you ever been prejudged because someone thought you were too young to do something?  Be sure not to prejudge others. Take time to get all the information.

prepay ● to pay for something before it needs to be paid in full

 At the gas station, you have to prepay before you can fill up your vehicle with gasoline.  Tara was thrilled when she was given a $100 prepaid Visa card for the holidays.

pretest ● a test before the real test, usually given to see what is already known

 The teacher gave a multiplication pretest to find out what facts her students knew.  Taking a pretest can help narrow down what you actually need to study.

prevent ● to stop something from happening before it occurs

 We should follow all playground rules to prevent injury.  I am so glad that Gordon prevented his sister from coming home early. Otherwise, the surprise party would have been ruined!

preview ● to look at or see something before something or someone else

 We were invited to a movie premiere to preview an upcoming action flick.  Before Paige turned in her assignment, she previewed it and fixed some spelling errors.