preclinical

American  

[pree-klin-i-kuhl] / priˈklɪn ɪ kəl /

adjective

Medicine/Medical.

1. of or relating to the period prior to the appearance of the symptoms.

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preclinical British  

/ priːˈklɪnɪkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring during the early phases of a disease before accurate diagnosis is possible

2. of, relating to, or designating an early period of scientific study by a medical student before practical experience with patients

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Other Word Forms

• preclinically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of preclinical

First recorded in 1930–35; pre- + clinical

Example Sentences

"This study was the first to investigate the impact of terpenes in preclinical models of fibromyalgia and post-operative pain and expand the scope of potential pain-relieving treatments using terpenes."

From Science Daily • Jun. 20, 2026

"Because reducing amyloid burden is clinically proven to improve functional outcomes, these preclinical results strongly support the rationale for testing this drug in early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease."

From Science Daily • Jun. 16, 2026

One example is using computer models rather than pipette-wielding humans in preclinical screens of molecules.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Ascidian will lead discovery and preclinical activities; Eli Lilly will handle clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

The companies have preclinical programs to link other Alzheimer’s drugs with the blood-brain barrier platform that BioArctic calls BrainTransporter.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026