preparation

American  

[prep-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌprɛp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a proceeding, measure, or provision by which one prepares for something.

   preparations for a journey.

2. any proceeding, experience, or the like considered as a mode of preparing for the future.

3. an act of preparing.

4. the state of being prepared.

5. something prepared, manufactured, or compounded.

   a special preparation for sunbathers.

6. a specimen, as an animal body, prepared for scientific examination, dissection, etc.

7. Music.

   1. the preparing of a dissonance, by introducing the dissonant tone as a consonant tone in the preceding chord.

   2. the tone so introduced.

8. New Testament. the day before the Sabbath or a feast day.

9. British. work done by students in preparation for class; homework.

10. the Preparation, the introductory prayers of the Mass or other divine service.

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preparation British  

/ ˌprɛpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of preparing

2. the state of being prepared; readiness

3. (often plural) a measure done in order to prepare for something; provision

   to make preparations for something

4. something that is prepared, esp a medicinal formulation

5. 1. homework

   2. Usually shortened to: prep.  the period reserved for this

6. music

   1. the anticipation of a dissonance so that the note producing it in one chord is first heard in the preceding chord as a consonance

   2. a note so employed

7. (often capital) the preliminary prayers at Mass or divine service

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Other Word Forms

• nonpreparation noun
• prepreparation noun
• self-preparation noun
• superpreparation noun

Etymology

Origin of preparation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English preparacion, from Latin praeparātiōn-, stem of praeparātiō, from praeparāt(us) “made ready beforehand” (past participle of praeparāre “to make ready beforehand”; prepare ) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Preparation is the act of preparing — getting ready, planning, training, or studying with a goal in mind. If you know pre means before, then you have a clue to the meaning of preparation. Dressing up before a date, learning your lines for a play, and attending medical school are all forms of preparation. Boot camp is preparation for soldiers. Rehearsal is preparation for actors. In cooking a huge meal, you have to do a lot of preparation before actually beginning to cook. If you fail a test, you clearly need to do more preparation next time.

Example Sentences

A covered porch houses a sizable grill for outdoor meal preparation.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The report cited five people with direct knowledge of large orders for Huawei chips, made in preparation for the DeepSeek launch by tech giants including Alibaba, ByteDance and Tencent.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Barton, 43, who was denied bail at an earlier magistrates hearing, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court by video link from Liverpool prison for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

She had moved everything out of their family home in preparation for renting the property, the outlet said; they saw renting as a way to provide a steady stream of income in Joseph’s absence.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

In the hours before the explosion, workers had laid out fire hoses in preparation for the seawater injection, but those had been damaged by the blast.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• education
• establishment
• formation
• groundwork
• measure
• plan
• precaution
• preparedness
• qualification
• rehearsal
• study
• training