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

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Etymology

Origin of preliminary

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

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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 state is also seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions and other orders to prevent the landfill operator from violating the waste control laws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

Using experimental detectors made from lithium fluoride crystals aboard the Orion spacecraft, researchers have obtained preliminary measurements that reveal unexpected differences in radiation exposure between the two environments.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

So far this month, the equal-weighted version of the S&P 500 is outperforming by 4.1 percentage points, according to preliminary numbers from Dow Jones Market Data.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

Core profit for the third quarter came in at 1.77 billion euros, Mercedes-Benz said in preliminary results, and the profit margin at the cars business was 2.5 percent.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

“You think so? Mrs. Newman asked me to make a sign for the International Festival. These are preliminary designs.”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

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

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

The City Section track preliminaries and finals will be run on Birmingham High’s new Mondo track, which is like running on a carpet and improves times.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 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

In the 1930s rowing was the second most popular Olympic event—after track and field— and in the preliminaries Germany had shown every sign of being highly competitive, if not dominant, in this year’s medal round.

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

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Related Words

• exploratory
• preparatory
• prior

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