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

• preliminaries
  plural

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

Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• preliminarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preliminaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of preliminary

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

Explanation

Preliminary means something that comes before something else. If you want to run in the race, you have to place in the top third of the preliminary round. It can also mean "early" — the preliminary results are in, and you've won! Preliminary is often used euphemistically, as in, "There are a few preliminaries we'll need to take care of before you start your new job. First, sign over all your worldly goods to the company, then write a letter to your family explaining that you will never see them again. All set?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preliminary preliminaries

Oil flows through Hormuz and linked routes have already started to decline in recent days, preliminary tracking data show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Schecter was out on bail, with a preliminary court hearing set for Tuesday at the Airport Courthouse, according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Samsung Electronics will announce preliminary earnings on Thursday, while full third-quarter numbers from SK Hynix are due Oct.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

“The investigation remains active and ongoing, and this preliminary assessment should not be interpreted as a final determination of the circumstances surrounding his death,” the department said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Cleaning me up is just a preliminary step to determining my new look.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Dispense with all preliminaries and give the Oscar to Ms. Coon right now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

Nine university students entered the preliminaries this year, wrestling bulls weighing hundreds of kilograms and sporting hard, stubby horns.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

She was one of two runners from the school to qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division I preliminaries.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

As the preliminaries drew to a close, Mike’s friends gradually started coming upstairs to join him.

From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2024

But with the preliminaries approaching, nerves began to grow raw among all the crews in Griinau and Kopenick.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• exploratory
• preparatory
• prior