"Preclude" is a highly formal, semi-common word. Pick it when you want to sound serious as you talk about one thing making another impossible. Compared to the much more common word "prevent," "preclude" is more businesslike.

It suggests the firm closing of a door on a possibility, whether someone is doing the precluding on purpose (as in "They planned the layoffs quietly to preclude a panic among the employees") or not (as in "His broken leg precluded him from playing football").

You might talk about goals, jobs, commitments, preferences, morals, or ideals that preclude certain actions: "The show’s Netflix contract precluded a move to another streaming platform (New York Times)."

Or, talk about actions or processes that preclude bad or annoying things, like spills, messes, pains, complaints, whining, chaos, or rebellion: "They recommend taking an antihistamine to preclude an allergic reaction." 

Or, talk about mishaps, injuries, limitations, and other unfortunate circumstances that preclude certain events or abilities: "The pandemic precluded in-person classes for over a year."

People also talk about things that don't preclude other things: "You hurt your foot? Okay, but that doesn't preclude you from doing your writing homework." "Ambition and power don’t preclude honesty and ideology (The Guardian)."

Notice how flexible the grammar is here. You can preclude things. You can preclude doing things. You can preclude things from happening, or preclude people from doing things. 

"The paintings are both monumental and explosive, with shimmering surfaces that suggest three-dimensional depth... Their size precludes seeing them in a glance, and their profusion of detail precludes comprehending them in an instant."
 — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 7 July 2021

"An expanding universe does not preclude a creator, but it does place limits on when he might have carried out his job!"
— Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays, 1988

has this page helped you understand "preclude"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "preclude" without saying "rule out" or "prevent."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some limitation, or some important thing that must be done) precluded (something fun or less important)."

Example 1: "His allergy precludes him from enjoying candy from any facility that processes peanuts."

Example 2: "It occurred to me that the business of surviving precluded a great many things, exploring and falling in love not least among them."
 — Ransom Riggs, Hollow City, 2014

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "Spot the Sharper Image."

Which of the two items described below is a real one that you can order from the Sharper Image catalog, and which one did I invent? Scroll to the bottom to see which one is real!

Try this set today:

Item A: Cordless Soup Stirrer. "Fits conveniently into your purse or pocket. Requires 2 C batteries (not included)."

Item B: Potted Plant Mover. "Just slip the lifting foot under the planter and slide down the adjustable arms to clamp it in place. Assembly required."

review this word:

1. Some opposites of PRECLUDE are

A. REFLECT and REGRET.
B. EMBRACE and WELCOME.
C. ENSURE and GUARANTEE.

2. A character in Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind says that owls are _____, characteristics that "preclude boldness."

A. "wise," "careful," and "patient"
B. "swift," "ruthless," and "decisive"
C. "mean," "manipulative," and "adorable"

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. A Answer to the game question: You truly can order a Potted Plant Mover from the Sharper Image catalog.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.