preparation

American  

[prep-uh-rey-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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• preparations
  plural

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

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

Augenbraun acknowledges that all this preparation can take away some of the pleasure of being outdoors and that, ultimately, awareness may simply be the best defense we have at our disposal.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Include them and Americans’ average level of preparation for retirement darkens considerably.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Then, through the cleaning and the preparation and then eventually the service — that’s on a clock because we’ve got other Louies to treat — we confer him his dignity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Many crops require weeks or months of preparation to grow and harvest, Shreve said, so boosting production is easier said than done.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Like a choreographed dance, vacant pods are being floated from the center of the hold, while metal supply crates take their place in the belly of the hold in preparation for offloading.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Tottenham are among the clubs whose pre-season preparations have been most significantly impacted.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Since L.A. was awarded the Games almost a decade ago, the 18-year-old watched preparations slowly improve the infrastructure of his hometown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Mark Prinzinger, co-owner of a sports bar in Philadelphia, made extensive preparations for the tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Tesla amended its presentation in April to signal that preparations are underway for those cities but did not give a timeline.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

The men had their backs to Tristran and Yvaine, and were resolutely facing the village as if they thought it sinful to observe the preparations occurring in the meadow behind them.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

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