preview
UK: ˈpriːvjuː | US: ˈpriːvjuː
n. an advance viewing or inspection of something before it is publicly available
vt. to view or show something in advance
preview = pre<before> + view<see>
- pre: From Latin prae-, meaning "before." Used in English to indicate prior action or time.
- view: From Old French veue (noun) and veoir (verb), meaning "to see." Retains its core meaning of visual observation.
Etymology Origin:
The word "preview" emerged in the early 17th century, combining the prefix pre- (indicating precedence) with view (act of seeing). It originally referred to inspecting something (e.g., land, documents) beforehand, later expanding to media contexts (e.g., film screenings). The logic mirrors modern usage: seeing content before its official release.
The director allowed critics to preview the film before its premiere.
Click here to preview the document before downloading.
The exhibition offers a preview of next year’s fashion trends.
Students can preview the course syllabus online.
The software update includes a preview feature for editing photos.