<p><strong>noun</strong></p><ul><li>the act or right of claiming or purchasing before or in preference to others.</li><li><strong>Law</strong>:<ul><li>Also called federal preemption: the doctrine that federal law takes precedence over state law when the two conflict.</li><li>Also called state preemption: the doctrine that state law takes precedence over local law, such as county or municipal legislation, when the two conflict.</li></ul></li><li><strong>Military</strong>: a policy of attacking first when there is imminent threat of attack by an enemy, or an enactment of this policy: The possibility of preemption is of grave concern to several Pentagon officials. Preemption only works if there is sufficient intelligence capacity.</li></ul><p><strong>End of Response</strong></p>