preliminary

American  

[pri-lim-uh-ner-ee] / prɪˈlɪm əˌnɛr i /

adjective

1. preceding and leading up to the main part, matter, or business; introductory; preparatory.

   preliminary examinations.

   Synonyms:

   prefatory

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noun

plural

preliminaries

1. something preliminary, as an introductory or preparatory step, measure, contest, etc..

   He passed the preliminary and went on to the finals.

2. a boxing match or other athletic contest that takes place before the main event on the program.

   A preliminary was fought at 8:00.

3. a preliminary examination, as of a candidate for an academic degree.

4. Printing. preliminaries, front matter.

preliminary British  

/ prɪˈlɪmɪnərɪ /

adjective

1. (usually prenominal) occurring before or in preparation; introductory

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noun

1. a preliminary event or occurrence

2. an eliminating contest held before the main competition

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• preliminarily adverb

Etymology

Origin of preliminary

First recorded in 1650–60; from French prélimin(aire) and New Latin praelīmināris ( pre-, liminal ) + -ary

Example Sentences

In a statement late Monday, the Danish renewable energy company said a judge had granted a preliminary injunction that allows the Revolution Wind project to restart immediately, while underlying lawsuits challenging the orders progress.

From The Wall Street Journal

A court on Monday preliminarily approved a settlement for restitution payments, New York Attorney General Letitia James said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company said the order numbers are preliminary and it is due to publish full results on Feb. 19.

From The Wall Street Journal

A preliminary report found that "neither the Solong nor Stena Immaculate had a dedicated lookout on the bridge" at the time of the incident and that visibility was "patchy".

From Barron's

The South Korean technology company said in preliminary results Thursday that its operating profit likely reached 20 trillion won, equivalent to $13.81 billion, for the final quarter of 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• exploratory
• preparatory
• prior