Definition of prolusionnext
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part in her prolusion she sketches the religious, cultural and political milieu in which gnosticism developed

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prolusion This poem seems positioned as a prolusion — his word — or prelude to set a mood of contemplation, to encourage a softness or stillness, a long view, for entering what follows. — Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prolusion
Noun
  • The Air Max Plus was designed by Sean McDowell and first released in 1998, serving as an introduction to Nike’s latest cushioning breakthrough, Tuned Air.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Larkin, wearing street clothes, was booed during pregame introductions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • So reads the first line in the preface of the first edition (1768) of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
    — Murasaki Shikibu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026
  • What could have been a throwaway nibble instead becomes a thought-through, gripping preface that sets up what’s to come.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • According to Complex, Kid Rock elaborates on a different, higher profile collaboration on his forthcoming album in the project’s foreword.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The lavish collection includes a foreword by royal journalist and biographer Tina Brown, who spent one-on-one time with the late princess during a lunch at the Four Seasons in New York just weeks before her death.
    — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prolusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prolusion. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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