preliminary

American  

[pri-lim-uh-ner-ee] / prɪˈlɪm əˌnɛr i /

adjective

1. 

   preceding and leading up to the main part, matter, or business; introductory; preparatory.

   preliminary examinations.

   Synonyms:

   prefatory

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noun

• preliminaries
  plural

1. something preliminary, as an introductory or preparatory step, measure, contest, etc..

   He passed the preliminary and went on to the finals.

2. a boxing match or other athletic contest that takes place before the main event on the program.

   A preliminary was fought at 8:00.

3. a preliminary examination, as of a candidate for an academic degree.

4. Printing. preliminaries, front matter.

preliminary British  

/ prɪˈlɪmɪnərɪ /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal) occurring before or in preparation; introductory

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noun

1. a preliminary event or occurrence

2. an eliminating contest held before the main competition

Synonym Usage

Preliminary, introductory both refer to that which comes before the principal subject of consideration. That which is preliminary is in the nature of preparation or of clearing away details which would encumber the main subject or problem; it often deals with arrangements and the like, which have to do only incidentally with the principal subject: preliminary negotiations. That which is introductory leads with natural, logical, or close connection directly into the main subject of consideration: introductory steps.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preliminarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preliminaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of preliminary

First recorded in 1650–60; from French prélimin(aire) and New Latin praelīmināris ( see pre-, liminal) + -ary

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Explanation

Preliminary means something that comes before something else. If you want to run in the race, you have to place in the top third of the preliminary round. It can also mean "early" — the preliminary results are in, and you've won! Preliminary is often used euphemistically, as in, "There are a few preliminaries we'll need to take care of before you start your new job. First, sign over all your worldly goods to the company, then write a letter to your family explaining that you will never see them again. All set?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preliminary preliminaries

"The PM's proposal has given a political direction. Our ministry is working with other relevant agencies to put forward a preliminary framework which can be the basis for building common understanding," the official said.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply toward the end of last week, according to preliminary Kpler data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The preliminary results suggested that exercise could lower autophagy activity in blood cells toward levels more typical of younger adults.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

However, preliminary readings from the National Weather Service recorded no rain in Santa Clarita.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

Checking the schedules printed on our forearms is just a preliminary step.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Dispense with all preliminaries and give the Oscar to Ms. Coon right now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Nine university students entered the preliminaries this year, wrestling bulls weighing hundreds of kilograms and sporting hard, stubby horns.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

After posting the top qualifying time in Friday’s preliminaries, Adams surged ahead of Madison Mosby of St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood to win the race with a time of 53.24.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025

As the preliminaries drew to a close, Mike’s friends gradually started coming upstairs to join him.

From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2024

Along with Cassius, I really was more worried about how his brother Rudolph was going to do, fighting his first pro fight in the preliminaries.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

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Related Words

• exploratory
• preparatory
• prior

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