preface

Dictionary: pref·ace (prĕf'ĭs) pronunciation

1. A preliminary statement or essay introducing a book that explains its scope, intention, or background and is usually written by the author.
2. An introductory section, as of a speech.
Something introductory; a preliminary: An informal brunch served as a preface to the three-day conference.
often Preface The words introducing the central part of the Eucharist in several Christian churches.

tr.v., -aced, -ac·ing, -ac·es.

To introduce by or provide with a preliminary statement or essay.
To serve as an introduction to.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praefātiō, praefātiōn-, from praefātus, past participle of praefārī, to say before : prae-, pre- + fārī, to speak.]

prefacer pref'ac·er n.

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Thesaurus: preface

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noun

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verb

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Antonyms: preface

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Definition: introduction
Antonyms: appendix, conclusion, ending, epilogue, finish

v

Definition: introduce
Antonyms: conclude, end, finish

Wikipedia: Preface

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"Proem" redirects here. For the musician, see Proem (musician).

For preface in liturgy, see Preface (liturgy).

This article is part of the series on:

Book design

General page layout and typography choices
Front and back covers
Endpapers
Front matter
- Half title or Bastard title
- Frontispiece
- Title page
- Edition notice
- Dedication
- Table of contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Prologue
Body matter, which may include:
- Chapters
- Parts
Back matter
- Epilogue
- Extro/Outro
- Afterword
- Conclusion
- Postscript
- Appendix/Addendum
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
- Errata
- Colophon

A preface (pronounced "preffus") is an introduction to a book written by the author of the book. An introductory essay written by a different person is a foreword and precedes an author's preface. The preface often closes with acknowledgements of those who assisted in the project.

A preface generally covers the story of how the book came into being, or how the idea for the book was developed; this is often followed by thanks and acknowledgments to people who were helpful to the author during the time of writing.

A preface is usually signed (and the date and place of writing often follow the typeset signature); a foreword by another person is always signed. Information essential to the main text is generally placed in a set of explanatory notes, or perhaps in an "Introduction" that may be paginated with Arabic numerals, rather than in the preface. The term preface can also mean any preliminary or introductory statement. It is sometimes abbreviated pref.

Similarly, a prologue is typically an introduction to a novel, fitting in with the genre and storyline of the main text, rather than a section in the author's voice.

Preface comes from the Latin, meaning either "spoken before" (prae + fatia) or "made before" (prae + factum). While the former source of the word could have preface meaning the same as prologue, the latter strongly implies an introduction written before the body of the book. With this meaning of stated intention, British publishing up to at least the middle of the twentieth century distinguished between preface and introduction.

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Antonyms. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Preface". Read more
		Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more

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