introduction

[in-truh-duhk-shuh n] /ˌɪn trəˈdʌk ʃən/
noun
1.
the act of introducing or the state of being introduced.
2.
a formal personal presentation of one person to another or others.
3.
a preliminary part, as of a book, musical composition, or the like, leading up to the main part.
4.
an elementary treatise:
an introduction to botany.
5.
an act or instance of inserting.
6.
something introduced.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English introduccion < Latin intrōductiōn- (stem of intrōductiō). See introduce, -tion
Related forms
reintroduction, noun
self-introduction, noun
subintroduction, noun
Synonyms
3. Introduction, foreword, preface refer to material given at the front of a book to explain or introduce it to the reader. A foreword is part of the front matter and is usually written by someone other than the author, often an authority on the subject of the book. A preface is the author's own statement, and often includes acknowledgments. It follows the foreword (if there is one) and is also part of the front matter. The introduction is always by the author. It may be extensive and is usually printed as part of the text.
Examples from the web for introduction
  • First, the biggest increase in life expectancy pre-dated the introduction of national health-care systems.
  • To learn why, click here for an introduction to the features.
  • It is also true that the introduction of big money has permanently changed vertebrate paleontology.
  • Great introduction to sparkling wine, and a fine photo gallery.
  • You're trying to solve the mystery posed in the book's introduction.
  • One group of children had a strictly pedagogical introduction.
  • Deforestation and the introduction of dogs, cats and mongooses that eat solenodons threaten to drive the critters to extinction.
  • It is amazing how much interest that this new introduction has sparked ps.
  • What has changed is not the introduction of profits but the introduction of cost controls.
  • With the introduction of the bayonet, each soldier could be both pikeman and musketeer.
British Dictionary definitions for introduction

introduction

/ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/
noun
1.
the act of introducing or fact of being introduced
2.
a presentation of one person to another or others
3.
a means of presenting a person to another person, group, etc, such as a letter of introduction or reference
4.
a preliminary part, as of a book, speech, etc
5.
(music)
  1. an instrumental passage preceding the entry of a soloist, choir, etc
  2. an opening passage in a movement or composition that precedes the main material
6.
something that has been or is introduced, esp something that is not native to an area, country, etc
7.
a basic or elementary work of instruction, reference, etc
8.
(logic) (qualified by the name of an operation) a syntactic rule specifying the conditions under which a formula or statement containing the specified operator may be derived from others: conjunction-introduction, negation-introduction
Word Origin and History for introduction
n.

late 14c., "act of bringing into existence," from Old French introduccion and directly from Latin introductionem (nominative introductio) "a leading in," noun of action from past participle stem of introducere "to lead in, bring in, to introduce," from intro- "inward, to the inside" (see intro-) + ducere "to lead" (see duke (n.)). Meaning "initial instruction in a subject; an introductory statement" is mid-15c. The sense of "formal presentation of one person to another" is from 1711.