preemption

Definition of Preemption in English :

1. pre-emption, preemption

the judicial principle asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject

2. pre-emption, preemption

the right of a government to seize or appropriate something (as property)

3. pre-emption, preemption

the right to purchase something in advance of others

4. pre-emption, preemption

a prior appropriation of something

Example Sentences:
'the preemption of bandwidth by commercial interests'

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Preemption

noun

the act or right of buying land, etc. before, or in preference to, others; esp., such a right granted to a settler on public land

action taken to check other action beforehand

a. The right to purchase something before others, especially the right to purchase public land that is granted to one who has settled on that land.

b. A purchase made by such a right.

2. Prior seizure of, appropriation of, or claim to something, such as property.

3. The action of preempting, as the use of military force in a preemptive attack.