preparation

American  

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

noun

• preparations
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preparations
  plural

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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”; see prepare) + -iō -ion

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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

See Examples For:

preparation preparations

According to NASA, the hardware needed for Artemis III remains on schedule, and improvements in processing have reduced preparation timelines by approximately 50%.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

It was in preparation for another meal that Everett found himself dodging raindrops on a late-summer morning as he perused the produce at the Ojai Farmers Market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

On Brazil’s professional soccer fields, players combine meticulous physical preparation with prayers, lucky charms and rituals intended to ward off injury or influence the outcome of a match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Police had parked patrol cars and mobile vans as well as set up two tents near the entrance to the road, in preparation for crowd control.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

For all Stalin’s preparation for the “future war,” he seems to have had some kind of mental block against believing that Hitler was really going to attack him.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

U.S. and Gulf officials described the American strikes as defensive operations aimed at protecting commercial shipping rather than preparations for a broader military offensive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

After that, they are not due to report back until 17 November, by which time the international contingent should start to return and begin preparations for the trip to Liverpool on 22 November.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

They have already been mapping out likely topics of scrutiny, collecting documents, interviewing employees and even running “wargame” simulations to start auditing and cataloging their exposure, according to lawyers and executives involved in the preparations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

The updated strategy includes testing two competing lunar landers, streamlining rocket preparations, and introducing a lighter spacesuit to help make the first moonwalks possible sooner.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

She could dismiss my preparations if she wanted, but I likened our arrangement to the night I had to fight off a pushy raccoon back on the farm.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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Related Words

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

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