preliminary
[pri-lim-uh-ner-ee]
||
adjective
preceding and leading up to the main part, matter, or business; introductory; preparatory: preliminary examinations.
noun, plural pre·lim·i·nar·ies.
something preliminary, as an introductory or preparatory step, measure, contest, etc.: He passed the preliminary and went on to the finals.
a boxing match or other athletic contest that takes place before the main event on the program: A preliminary was fought at 8:00.
a preliminary examination, as of a candidate for an academic degree.
preliminaries, Printing. front matter.
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Nearby words
- prelexical,
- prelibation,
- prelim,
- prelim.,
- preliminaries,
- preliminary sat/national merit qualifying test,
- prelimit,
- prelims,
- prelingually deaf,
- preliterate
Origin of preliminary
SYNONYMS FOR preliminary
1. prefatory. 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.
ANTONYMS FOR preliminary
1. concluding.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for preliminarily
preliminary
adjective
noun plural -naries
Word Origin for preliminary
C17: from New Latin praelīmināris, from Latin prae before + līmen threshold
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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preliminary
1660s, from French préliminaire and directly from Medieval Latin praeliminaris, from Latin prae- "before" (see pre-) + limen (genitive liminis) "threshold" (see limit (n.)). A word that arose in reference to negotiations to end the Thirty Years' War. Earliest attested form in English is preliminaries (n.), 1650s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper