prelim
noun
prelim
1 American
[pree-lim, pri-lim]
/ ˈpri lɪm, prɪˈlɪm /
noun
Informal.
prelim.
2
American
abbreviation
prelim.
British
abbreviation
Etymology
Origin of prelim
First recorded in 1880–85; by shortening
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.
She said she felt "well prepared" ahead of the exam - having done four years' worth of past papers - and had got an A in her prelim.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Servite won the boys 4x100 relay in 40.27, one hundredth of a second faster than its prelim time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025
There’s also a women’s prelim round ice hockey match going on: Canada leading I Can’t Believe It’s Not Russia 2-0.
From The Guardian • Feb. 7, 2022
In another 200-meter prelim, Erriyon Knighton — at 17, the youngest member of the U.S. track team — won in 20.54 seconds.
From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2021
In our prelim heats, on Saturday, I beat Lindsey’s time in every event, even the freestyle.
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.
