preconditionpre‧con‧di‧tion /ˌpriːkənˈdɪʃən/ noun [countable] 
- One of the most obvious preconditions for economic growth is a stable government.
- The president has demanded that the rebels turn in their weapons as a precondition to any talks.
- Diplomatic sources stressed Netanyahu had offered a resumption of the negotiations that broke down a year ago without preconditions.
- For example, the experimental style of psychology is very often treated as a precondition of effective theorising.
- For too long, John Major and his government had used these preconditions to frustrate the peace process.
- In this sense, the unpredictability of all that happens in the church is a necessary precondition of freedom.
- Our study grows out of this body of theory about the characteristics and preconditions of the culture of democracy.
- Secondly, industrial expansion is not a necessary precondition for the appearance of large cities.
- The point I am making is that pedagogic research calls for the independent appraisal of ideas as a precondition to their application.
- We want to negotiate without preconditions.
something that must happen before something else can happen► condition: condition for/of · Finance ministers claimed that all the conditions for economic revival were already in place.· In her view, women's full participation in the labor market is a necessary condition of equality.meet a condition · The Chancellor says that five conditions have to be met before the UK joins the Euro.
► precondition formal a situation that has to exist before something else can happen: precondition to/for/of: · The president has demanded that the rebels turn in their weapons as a precondition to any talks.· One of the most obvious preconditions for economic growth is a stable government.
► prerequisite formal something that you must have before something else is possible: prerequisite for/of: · Adequate food and shelter are the minimum prerequisites of a decent life.· Some knowledge of the French language is a prerequisite for employment there.
ADJECTIVE► necessary· Digitalness is probably a necessary precondition for Darwinism itself to work.· The abolition of serfdom would therefore be a necessary precondition of free labour mobility.· In this sense, the unpredictability of all that happens in the church is a necessary precondition of freedom.· BOne of them is that sound economic management is a precursor, a necessary precondition for, poverty alleviation and growth.· Secondly, industrial expansion is not a necessary precondition for the appearance of large cities.
nounconditionpreconditionconditionerconditioningadjectiveconditional ≠ unconditionalverbconditionadverbconditionally ≠ unconditionally
A ceasefire is a precondition for talks.