Dictionary
pre•clude
Pronunciation: (pri-klOOd'), [key]—
v.t., -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.