precondemn: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very low frequency, rareFormal, academic, legal, journalistic critique
Quick answer
What does “precondemn” mean?
To condemn or judge something or someone in advance, before a proper examination, trial, or consideration of evidence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To condemn or judge something or someone in advance, before a proper examination, trial, or consideration of evidence.
Can be used in contexts of judicial systems, public opinion, journalism, or any situation involving prejudgment. It implies a preformed negative judgment that is premature and often unfair.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences. Slightly more common in American legal and political commentary.
Connotations
Identical connotations of unjust prejudgment in both varieties.
Frequency
Exceedingly rare in everyday speech in both regions. Found primarily in formal writing and discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “precondemn” in a Sentence
[Subject] precondemns [Object (person/thing)][Subject] precondemns [Object] as [complement]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “precondemn” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The columnist argued that the press was seeking to precondemn the minister before the inquiry.
- It is unjust to precondemn the proposal without reading the full report.
American English
- The defense attorney claimed the DA's statements were an attempt to precondemn his client.
- We should avoid precondemning the new policy based on rumors.
adverb
British English
- The proposal was precondemningly dismissed by the panel.
- He spoke precondemningly about the accused.
American English
- The article wrote precondemningly about the accused company.
- She reacted precondemningly to the news.
adjective
British English
- The precondemning attitude of the committee was evident from the start.
- She faced a wave of precondemning headlines.
American English
- He was subject to precondemning media coverage.
- The report warned against a precondemning stance.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly in HR contexts: 'We must not precondemn the employee before the investigation is complete.'
Academic
Used in legal, philosophical, and media studies texts discussing bias and procedural justice.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Used in legal discourse regarding fair trial rights and pre-trial publicity.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “precondemn”
- Misspelling as 'pre-condemn' (though hyphenated form is sometimes seen).
- Confusing with 'condemn', missing the crucial 'in advance' aspect.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a very low-frequency, formal word. 'Prejudge' is far more common in everyday language.
'Condemn' means to express complete disapproval. 'Precondemn' specifies that this disapproval is formed *before* having proper or full evidence, making it a type of prejudgment.
No, it is exclusively negative, describing an unfair and premature negative judgment.
Yes, though equally rare. Example: 'The suspect suffered from widespread precondemnation in the press.'
To condemn or judge something or someone in advance, before a proper examination, trial, or consideration of evidence.
Precondemn is usually formal, academic, legal, journalistic critique in register.
Precondemn: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpriːkənˈdɛm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌprikənˈdɛm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be tried in the court of public opinion (related concept).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: PRE-CONDEMN. To CONDEMN someone PRE-maturely, BEFORE knowing the facts.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS A PROPER PROCEDURE (precondemning is violating that procedure).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'precondemn' most appropriately used?