prelude

Meaning

Noun

1. An introductory or preliminary performance or event.
2. A short, free-form piece of music, originally one serving as an introduction to a longer and more complex piece; later, starting with the Romantic period, generally a stand-alone piece.
3. A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by default, into a program.
4. (figuratively) A forerunner to anything.

Verb

1. To introduce something, as a prelude.
2. To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance.

Synonyms

overture

introduction

preface

preamble

prologue

intro

preliminary

prelusion

proem

beginning

outset

forebode

import

opening

initiate

input

insert

insertion

institute

intake

introduce

lead

leader

lead-in

omen

opportunity

origination

precede

presage

pretext

prolegomenon

prolog

prologize

prolusion

star

⭐

toccata

usher

go before

lede

procedure heading

prologue

admit

prolog

adumbration

antecedent

begin

chance

🎲

cue

enter

exordium

Translations

prélude

preludio

preludio

Vorspiel

Präludium

preludi

prelúdio

εισαγωγή

voorspel

preludi

prolusio

prelude

εισάγω

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɹɛl(j)uːd/

Etymology

From Middle French prélude (“singing to test a musical instrument”), from Medieval Latin preludium, from Latin praelūdere.