preemptive strike

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word preemptive strike. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word preemptive strike, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say preemptive strike in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word preemptive strike you have here. The definition of the word preemptive strike will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofpreemptive strike, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Noun

preemptive strike (plural preemptive strikes)

  1. An attack launched as a defensive measure.
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Salarians: Military Doctrine Codex entry:
      In every war the salarians have fought, they struck first and without warning. For the salarians, to know an enemy plans to attack and to let it happen is folly. To announce their own plans to attack is insanity. They find the human moral concepts of "do not fire until fired upon" and "declare a war before prosecuting it" incredibly naive. In defensive wars, they execute devastating preemptive strikes hours before the enemy's own attacks.

Translations

See also