PREEMPTIVE STRIKE Definition & Meaning

preemptive strike

noun

Military.

an attack against an enemy in response to an obvious threat of attack by that enemy: because preemptive strikes are prompted more by clearly imminent danger than by speculation, they generally are considered acceptable in international law.

preemptive strike

A first-strike attack with nuclear weapons carried out to destroy an enemy's capacity to respond. A preemptive strike is based on the assumption that the enemy is planning an imminent attack.

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of preemptive strike¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

After several days of missile exchanges between Israel and Iran, Baier was critical of Netanyahu's assertion that his "preemptive strike" was necessary.

From

Israeli government officials called the move a "preemptive strike" in an emergency message to citizens.

From

"Following the State of Israel's preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future," a message from Katz read.

From

Officials even launched a highly publicized offensive against contraband goods from Asia, raiding a shopping center in downtown Mexico City and seizing thousands of toys and other products — an operation widely seen as a preemptive strike to discourage Trump from trying to punish Mexico for serving as a conduit for Chinese merchandise headed to the United States.

From

As reformers worked in January 1975 to draft legislation that would have changed Idaho from an elected coroner system to one headed by a state medical examiner, funeral home directors organized a preemptive strike.

From

preemptive right preen

Browse