prelims
Britishplural noun
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Also called: front matter. the pages of a book, such as the title page and contents, before the main text
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the first public examinations taken for the bachelor's degree in some universities
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(in Scotland) the school examinations taken as practice before public examinations
Etymology
Origin of prelims
C19: a contraction of preliminaries
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Saturday's card moved swiftly with seven of the eight fights across the prelims and main card ending inside the distance.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
“I don’t care about the hype,” he said following Friday’s prelims at Buchanan High, where he earned spots in the finals in all three of his events.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
Fighters on the prelims like Wood and Jones don't get as much media attention or promotion from the UFC - and strikingly less money than their headlining peers.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
Sitting in the Birmingham High bleachers wearing headphones before running the 400 meters at the City Section track and field prelims, 17-year-old senior Nathan Santa Cruz looks like a teenager comfortable and confident.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025
We only ever had two days to get reacquainted, prelims Saturday and finals on Sunday, and then there was the matter of being there to compete.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
