Meaning & use
preorder
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To order a product before it is officially released or available for purchase.
Grammar: Takes an object: preorder the album.
Patterns
- preorder something
- preorder something from someone
- preorder something for someone
I preordered the new iPhone as soon as it was announced.
She preordered the book from an online store.
They preordered tickets for the concert to avoid missing out.
nouncountable
An order placed for a product before it becomes officially available.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'place' or 'make': place a preorder.
Patterns
- place a preorder
- make a preorder
- a preorder for something
I placed a preorder for the game last week.
The store is taking preorders for the new phone.
Her preorder arrived on the release day.
Word forms
| third person singular | preorders |
|---|---|
| past tense | preordered |
| past participle | preordered |
| -ing form | preordering |
| plural | preorders |
Common combinations
- preorder a copy
- You can preorder a copy of the DVD now.
- preorder online
- Many customers prefer to preorder online.
- preorder bonus
- The game comes with a preorder bonus.
- preorder period
- The preorder period ends next Friday.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- preorder noun
- The order itself, as in 'I placed a preorder.'
Commonly confused: preorder or pre-order?
preorder vs pre-order
Some people write it with a hyphen; both are accepted, but 'preorder' is more common in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'preorder' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Preorder' is a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object without a preposition: preorder the book. The other options incorrectly add prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “preorder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.