preliminary
Americanadjective
noun
-
preliminaries
plural
-
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.
-
Printing. preliminaries, front matter.
adjective
noun
-
a preliminary event or occurrence
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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?"
Vocabulary lists containing preliminary
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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A Spelling Bee for Fun
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Mockingbird
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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.
See Examples For:
Earlier, the coast guard said preliminary interviews with the survivors suggest that the fire started in the cargo hold.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Other U.S. economic data due Friday include the preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Survey for September, released at 10:00 a.m.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last month granted the venture preliminary conditional approval.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The lawsuit’s motive matches allegations that prosecutors have made in court filings and at Burke’s preliminary hearing in July.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
In Alabama, for example, biologists of the Alabama Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit conducted a preliminary census of the quail population in a 3600-acre area that was scheduled for treatment.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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
Renoir stopped making preparatory studies between 1865 and 1875 when, like his Impressionist colleagues Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley and Camille Pissarro, he worked directly from the motif, without preliminaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
After posting the top qualifying time in Friday’s preliminaries, Adams surged ahead of Madison Mosby of St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood to win the race with a time of 53.24.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
Aside from the bartender, there was only one person actually braving the record-breaking 110-degree heat on the roof and watching UFC preliminaries on the wall-mounted TV: a gregarious, stocky, bespectacled older man named Mike.
From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2024
Archie asked, getting down to business without preliminaries, keeping his voice flat and dry as the Sahara.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
