preview

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpriː.vjuː/^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from pre-, before, and view.^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

To see beforehand, foresee: 1607.^[2][5][4]

Semantic evolution

The Century Dictionary marked the verb as rare in 1895.^[3] The noun, previous viewing or foresight, is from 1855,^[2][5] and a foretaste or preliminary survey from 1880–82.^[3][5] A showing of a film, book or exhibition before its public release is from 1920–22,^[3][5] sometimes spelled prevue,^[5][6] and the verb, to show a film before its opening, from 1928.^[3][5] A preview performance of a play is from 1978.^[5]

Timeline

• 1607 – to foresee.^[2][5]
• 1855 – foresight (noun).^[2]
• 1880 – a foretaste.^[3]
• 1922 – an advance showing.^[5]
• 1928 – to preview a film.^[3][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. An advance showing of a film, play or exhibition before it opens to the public.
2. A preliminary look or sample: a preview of the season.

Verb

1. To show or see in advance.
2. To give a preliminary account of.

Word family

• previewer
• unpreviewed
• sneak preview

Related words

• view
• review
• interview

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins