Preamble — English definition
An opening statement that announces a document's purpose and the principles used to justify it.
Where it is taught
- Rhetoric in Founding & Historical Documents — Public Argument, Rhetoric & Competing Accounts, English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory, Grade 11
In use
Its preamble lays down general principles it treats as beyond dispute — that people are created equal and hold rights no government may erase, and that a government destroying those rights may rightly be replaced.
Rhetoric in Founding & Historical Documents
Questions using preamble
Problem 1
In a foundational document, what is the main purpose of a preamble?
- To announce the document's purpose and the principles that justify it
- To attack the character of an opponent
- To provide a statistical appendix
- To list every law the government will pass
Answer and explanation
To announce the document's purpose and the principles that justify it
A preamble opens a document by stating its purpose and the guiding principles used to justify what follows.