preattack

See also: pre-attack

English

Alternative forms

• pre-attack

Etymology

From pre- +‎ attack.

Adjective

preattack (not comparable)

1. Before an attack.
   • 2007 December 27, “Protection for Endangered Whistle-Blowers”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     White House complaints that homeland defense would be threatened are, in fact, contradicted by the history of 9/11 and the F.B.I. field agent whose preattack warnings to superiors went unheeded.

   • 2022 September 30, Michael Coden, “Letters: Against Cyberattacks”, in The New York Times‎^[2]:

     In contrast to cyberprotection, cyberresilience anticipates that a cyberattack will succeed. It has in place methods for rapid detection, cushioning the effects and quickly restoring systems to their pre-attack state.