emptive

emptive

English

Etymology

Back-formation from preemptive.

Adjective

emptive (comparative more emptive, superlative most emptive)

1. (rare) Responding to or acting to counteract something when it happens (rather than beforehand).
   • 2004, Marc Silver, Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) During Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond, Rodale (2004), →ISBN, page 227:

     Mike Malone recalls how the shaving of his fiancée's head was more of an “emptive” strike, since her hair was already on its way out.

   • 2006, A. M. Natarajan & P. Balasubramani, Operations Research, Dorling Kindersley (2009), →ISBN, page 498:

     Emptive priority: The service to non-priority customer is stopped as soon as a priority customer arrives.

   • 2010, N. K. Singh, "Simulation of Network Traffic Based on Queing Theory Using OPNET", page 12:

     This situation can be dealt with either in an emptive or pre-emptive fashion. In an emptive system the new entry waits for the other to be completed before beginning. In a pre-emptive system the queue can stop the current entry half way through its execution to start the new one.

Synonyms

• reactive