preprogram

verb

pre·​pro·​gram ˌprē-ˈprō-ˌgram 

-grəm

variants or pre-program

preprogrammed or pre-programmed; preprogramming or pre-programming

transitive + intransitive

: to program (something or someone) in advance

Users preprogram their contacts into the app, and with the press of a button, the app will automatically text those contacts.

—Issi Lapowsky

In commercial or industrial buildings you could preprogram lighting cycles …

—Trevor Pott

… before birth we are preprogrammed with a wide amplitude of longevity prospects, intelligence and physical capabilities.

—Ken Miller

preprogrammed

ˌprē-ˈprō-ˌgramd 

-grəmd

adjective

or pre-programmed

preprogrammed settings/instructions

a preprogrammed flight plan

genetically preprogrammed behavior

preprogramming noun

or pre-programming

… no preprogramming is involved and a vision system isn't required to map the terrain. Instead, the elastic actuators that make up the robot's legs conform to the surface it's walking on …

—Brian Heater

For example, we inherited a belief that there are 365 days in each year. … By default, we've accepted this preprogramming through habit and belief in truth set by others.

—Aaron Anson

Examples of preprogram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of trying to preprogram actions, Microsoft decided to teach its gaming technology to recognize gestures in real time just like a human does: by extrapolating from experience. —Susan Kuchinskas, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2010

The serendipity involved represents a key element of the art of traveling: not needing to control or preprogram your experience, letting things unfold organically and taking the chance to be delighted by the unexpected. —Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above