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

Beijing did not corroborate the details in a separate statement, but said "the two reached a preliminary joint agreement on addressing bilateral economic and trade issues".

From BBC

Two other projects, Empire Wind and Revolution Wind, also won preliminary injunctions to resume construction this week.

From Barron's

Dominion shares rose 1.3% on Friday in response to news it won a preliminary injunction allowing work to go ahead.

From Barron's

The backlash came after a preliminary review by the policing watchdog found "confirmation bias" influenced the decision to bar supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending Villa Park.

From BBC

Farbiarz last June issued a preliminary ruling blocking the government from using the foreign-policy ground, saying it was likely too vague for someone to know how to avoid running afoul of it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• exploratory
• preparatory
• prior