precondition

[ pree-kuh n-dish-uh n ]
/ ˌpri kənˈdɪʃ ən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR precondition ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that must come before or is necessary to a subsequent result; condition: a precondition for a promotion.

verb (used with object)

to subject (a person or thing) to a special treatment in preparation for a subsequent experience, process, test, etc.: to precondition a surface to receive paint.

Origin of precondition

First recorded in 1910–15; pre- + condition

Words nearby precondition

preconceive, preconception, preconceptual stage, preconcert, precondemn, precondition, preconize, preconquest, preconscious, preconsonantal, precontract

Words related to precondition

requirement, qualification, arrangement, necessity, requisite, stipulation, provision, essential, prerequisite, exception, proviso, terms, exemption, codicil, contingency, rule, modification, need, kicker, demand

Example sentences from the Web for precondition

British Dictionary definitions for precondition

precondition
/ (ˌpriːkənˈdɪʃən) /

noun

a necessary or required condition; prerequisite

verb

(tr) psychol to present successively two stimuli to (an organism) without reinforcement so that they become associated; if a response is then conditioned to the second stimulus on its own, the same response will be evoked by the first stimulus