preliminary
[ pri-lim-uh-ner-ee ]
/ prɪˈlɪm əˌnɛr i /
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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Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin 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.
OTHER WORDS FROM preliminary
pre·lim·i·nar·i·ly, adverbWords nearby preliminary
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for preliminary
British Dictionary definitions for preliminary
preliminary
/ (prɪˈlɪmɪnərɪ) /
adjective
(usually prenominal) occurring before or in preparation; introductory
noun plural -naries
a preliminary event or occurrence
an eliminating contest held before the main competition
Derived forms of preliminary
preliminarily, adverbWord Origin for preliminary
C17: from New Latin praelīmināris, from Latin prae before + līmen threshold
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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