What does "preview" mean?
An experience of something in advance.
Preview
/ˈpɹiːvjuː/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An experience of something in advance.
- Grammar: preview is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: 3-d, advance screening, animated cartoon, anticipation.
- Useful contrasts: conceal, full resolution version, hide.
- Usage evidence: There was a special sneak preview last night.
How to use "preview"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "preview" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "preview" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "preview" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "preview" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "preview" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "3-d" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "preview", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An experience of something in advance.
"It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […]."
- 2 a screening for a select audience in advance of release for the general public wordnet
- 3 An advance showing of a film, exhibition etc. colloquial
- 4 an advertisement consisting of short scenes from a motion picture that will appear in the near future wordnet
- 5 A short collection of clips edited together to advertise a film, television show, etc.; a trailer.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Something seen in advance.
- 7 A facility for viewing and checking a document or photo, or changes to it, before saving or printing it.
Verb
- 1 To show or watch something, or part of it, before it is complete. transitive
"Vidal's talk was caled "The Screening Of History," and it was a free-ranging meditation on the United States, the movies, on Vidal's personal history and numerous interconnections. (It also previewed a forthcoming book by the same name.)"
- 2 watch (a movie or play) before it is released to the general public wordnet
- 3 To show something in advance, a facility for viewing and checking a document or photo, or changes to it, before saving or printing it. transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"There was a special sneak preview last night."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "preview"?
Common synonyms include: 3-d, advance screening, animated cartoon, anticipation, appetizer, be a gas.
How do you use "preview" in a sentence?
There was a special sneak preview last night.
How do you pronounce "preview"?
Pronounced /ˈpɹiːvjuː/.
Etymology
From pre- + view; compare Old French preveü, past participle of preveoir (“to foresee”).