Other forms: prefaced, prefaces
A preface is the author's introductory note to a book. Write a preface, in the preface, a short preface.
It is written by the author and explains how the book came about, where a foreword is written by somebody else and an introduction is part of the argument. Publishers and readers muddle the three constantly. As a verb, to preface a remark is to say something before it. Note that the Latin means a saying beforehand, from fari, to speak.
1nounprefaceThe author's introductory note to a book.
“In the preface, the author thanks her parents and explains why she wrote the book.”
2verbremarkTo say something before a remark.
“He prefaced his criticism by saying how much he liked her work.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
preface is an introductory note.
Latin praefatio comes from praefari, to say beforehand — prae plus fari, to speak. Fate, fame and infant come from the same speaking.
Latin
praefātiō — a saying beforehand
Medieval Latin
prefātia
Old French
preface
Middle English
preface
English, today
preface
Built from
Late 14th century, from Middle English preface, prefas, from Old French preface (from which derives the modern French préface), from Medieval Latin prefātia, for classical Latin praefātiō (“a saying beforehand”), from praefor (“to speak beforehand”), from prae- (“beforehand”) + for (“to speak”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA