pre-ˈemptively, adv.
[f. pre-emptive a. + -ly2.]
In a pre-emptive manner.
| 1917 E. Bergholt Royal Auction Bridge II. 148 By declaring ‘pre-emptively’, up to the full strength of his hand, Z. will no doubt be able to prevent B. from directing A. what to lead. 1952 I. Macleod Bridge vii. 84 A double is for penalties unless..(3) The double is of a suit not above the level of three (and not at the three level bid preemptively). 1959 Encounter Nov. 17/1 It is..easier to imagine the Soviet Union striking pre-emptively than to imagine the U.S...doing the same thing. 1968 G. Jones Hist. Vikings iv. iii. 392 After the death of Knut the ancient West Saxon dynasty pre-emptively reinherited England. 1975 Sci. Amer. Oct. 8/2 Our past practice of preemptively deploying the latest strategic weapons our technology affords us has neither forced nor persuaded the U.S.S.R. to stop deploying strategic weapons increasingly threatening to our security. |