# pre

/ˈpɹi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pre
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to drink before an event

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal · British English

to drink alcohol at home with friends before going out to a club, party, or bar.

For teachers: to consume alcohol at a private residence prior to attending a primary social event or venue. Intransitive clipping of 'pre-drink'.

- We are going to pre at my flat before we head to the concert.
- The students decided to pre at a nearby apartment to save money before heading into the city for the formal event.

Usage: Usually used as an intransitive verb without an object.

### 2. drinks before an event

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal · British English

the drinks or the small party you have before going to a bigger event.

For teachers: a social gathering involving alcohol consumption that occurs before the main event. Often used in the plural form 'pres'.

- Are you coming to pres at eight o'clock?
- The atmosphere at pres was surprisingly quiet, as everyone was saving their energy for the club later that night.

Usage: Commonly used in the plural 'pres' to refer to the event itself.

### 3. before

preposition · CEFR B2 · Academic · Technical

a short way of saying 'before' a specific time or event.

For teachers: occurring or existing before a specified event or period. Often used in technical or academic contexts as a prefix or standalone shorthand.

- The pre-war buildings in this city are very beautiful.
- The researcher noted that the patient's symptoms were significantly more manageable in the pre-treatment phase of the study.

Usage: Frequently attached to nouns with a hyphen.

## Examples

- We usually pre at my flat before heading to the club.
- Since drinks are so expensive at the festival, the group decided to pre at the hotel for an hour first.
- While the practice of pre-drinking is often motivated by financial constraints, many students view it as an essential social ritual for bonding before the loud environment of a nightclub.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.