A preamble is an introductory statement in a document that explains the documents purpose and underlying philosophy. It is usually found at the beginning of a statute or constitution and may recite historical facts pertinent to the subject of the document. The preamble is distinct from the long title or enacting formula of a law. In parliamentary procedure using Roberts Rules of Order, a preamble consists of "Whereas" clauses that are placed before the resolving clauses in a resolution (formal written motion) . However, preambles are not required to be placed in resolutions.

The U.S. Constitutions preamble is the famous first fifty-two words that introduce everything that is to follow in the Constitutions seven articles and twenty-seven amendments. It sets the stage for the Constitution and clearly communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The preamble is not the law and does not define government powers or individual rights. Instead, it declares who is enacting the Constitution, which is the people of "the United States". The Preamble describes who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

While preambles may be regarded as unimportant introductory matter, their words may have effects that may not have been foreseen by their drafters. In France, the preamble to the constitution of the Fifth Republic of 1958 was considered ancillary and therefore non-binding until a major jurisprudential reversal by the Constitutional Council in the decision of 16 July 1971. This decision effected a considerable change in French constitutional law, as the preamble and the texts it referred to took their place alongside the constitution proper as texts.

In summary, a preamble is an introductory statement in a document that explains the documents purpose and underlying philosophy. It is usually found at the beginning of a statute or constitution and may recite historical facts pertinent to the subject of the document. The U.S. Constitutions preamble is the famous first fifty-two words that introduce everything that is to follow in the Constitutions seven articles and twenty-seven amendments. It sets the stage for the Constitution and clearly communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document.