Prepone is an established verb in Indian English. It means to change a planned event so that it happens earlier than originally arranged. Its structure makes it a clear opposite of postpone, which means to delay something until a later time.
For example, if a class was planned for Friday but will now take place on Thursday, a speaker might say:
- We preponed the class from Friday to Thursday.
It behaves like a regular verb: prepone, preponed, and preponing. It can describe changes to meetings, appointments, deadlines, flights, and other scheduled events when the new time is earlier.
The word is useful and natural for many English speakers in India. However, it may sound unfamiliar to people who use other varieties of English. In an international message, one of these alternatives may be easier for everyone to understand:
- We brought the class forward from Friday to Thursday.
- We moved the class to an earlier date.
That does not make prepone incorrect. English has regional vocabulary, just as it has regional accents and spelling. The best choice depends on your audience. Among people familiar with Indian English, the shorter verb can be precise and convenient. With a wider audience, “bring forward” or “move to an earlier date” can reduce confusion.
