What does pretermit mean?
The verb pretermit means to intentionally disregard, overlook, or omit something. It is often used in formal or technical contexts, such as legal or academic writing. Pretermit implies a deliberate choice to leave out or pass over something, which can have significant consequences. For instance, a new policy might pretermit the concerns of a particular group, leading to unintended effects. Although not commonly used in everyday conversation, pretermit is a useful word for expressing nuanced ideas in formal writing. Understanding its meaning and usage can help individuals communicate more precisely and effectively.
verbTo disregard or overlook something, often intentionally. To omit or leave out.
- To pass over or disregard.
- To omit or leave out.
"The new policy seems to pretermit the concerns of lower-income families."
"The committee pretermitted several important issues in their report."
"The new law pretermits certain tax exemptions for large corporations."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of pretermit
Pretermit originates from the Latin words 'praeter', meaning 'beyond' or 'besides', and 'mittere', meaning 'to send'. The term entered the English language in the 15th century. It is related to words like 'transmit' and 'submit', which also derive from 'mittere'.
Usage notes
Formal or somewhat archaic; often used in legal or technical contexts.