Meaning & use
preview
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Meanings
nouncountable
A showing of a film, play, product, etc., before it is available to the public.
Grammar: Countable: a preview, the preview, previews.
Patterns
- a preview of something
- give a preview
- see a preview
We attended a preview of the new museum exhibit.
The software company gave a preview of its upcoming operating system.
The film's preview was held for critics only.
nouncountable
A short description or sample that gives an idea of what something will be like.
Grammar: Often used in media: a preview of the match.
Patterns
- a preview of something
- a preview to something
The magazine included a preview of the new season's fashions.
Here's a preview of what's coming up in tonight's news.
verbtransitive
To see, show, or examine something before it is officially released or shown to the public.
Grammar: Takes an object: preview a film.
Patterns
- preview something
- preview something for someone
Journalists were invited to preview the new car before its launch.
You can preview the document before printing it.
The teacher previewed the exam questions with the class.
Word forms
| plural | previews |
|---|---|
| third person singular | previews |
| past tense | previewed |
| past participle | previewed |
| -ing form | previewing |
Common combinations
- sneak preview
- The studio gave a sneak preview of the movie's opening scene.
- preview screening
- Tickets for the preview screening sold out in minutes.
- preview copy
- The publisher sent me a preview copy of the novel.
- preview performance
- The play had its first preview performance last night.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trailer
- A trailer is a short promotional video for a film, while a preview can be any advance showing or sample.
- advance showing
- This phrase is more formal and usually refers to a full showing, not a short clip.
- sample
- A sample is a small part given to try, whereas a preview gives an idea of the whole thing.
Opposites
Word family
- previewer noun
- A person who previews something, such as a critic.
Commonly confused: preview or review?
preview vs review
A review is an evaluation after seeing something; a preview happens before.
Practice
The critics were invited to ______ the film before its public release.
Choose one answer.
The infinitive 'preview' fits after 'to'. 'Review' would mean evaluate after seeing, which is not the intended meaning here. 'Previews' and 'previewing' do not fit grammatically after 'to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “preview”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.