preclude: Meaning and Definition of

pre•clude

Pronunciation: (pri-kld'), [key]
— -clud•ed, -clud•ing.
  1. to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible: The insufficiency of the evidence precludes a conviction.
  2. to exclude or debar from something: His physical disability precludes an athletic career for him.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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