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

The authorities deny the claims and in preliminary statements observers described election day as largely peaceful and orderly.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Real gross domestic product grew 0.3% during the April-June period from the previous quarter, according to preliminary government data released Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

“We think the preliminary injunction should be denied.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

He is one of the very few local voices publicly rejecting the KWS preliminary findings, pointing out that no other animals have died.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

He made the required optimistic noises and asked Lawrence to prepare a preliminary budget.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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

Tennyson never made it to the Southern Section track preliminaries after winning the league title.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026

Earlier, during the preliminaries, someone had led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance—first to the American flag, then to the state of Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

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

From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2024

Within a month the preliminaries were completed, the day was fixed.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• exploratory
• preparatory
• prior