prep
noun
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prep
1 American
[prep]
/ prɛp /
noun
-
preps
plural
-
a preliminary or warm-up activity or event; trial run.
The race is a good prep for the Kentucky Derby.
-
preparation.
dealer prep on the car included.
-
the act of preparing a patient for a medical or surgical procedure.
adjective
-
preparatory.
a prep school.
-
involving or used for preparation.
the mortuary's prep room.
verb (used with object)
prepped,
prepping
-
to prepare (a person) for a test, debate, etc.
-
to prepare (a patient) for a medical or surgical procedure, as by shaving and washing the skin with an antibacterial soap.
-
to prepare (a vehicle or craft) for sale, use, a test drive, or a race.
-
to prepare (something); make ready.
You can prep the onions and peppers in advance.
verb (used without object)
prepped,
prepping
-
to prepare; get ready.
to prep for the game.
-
to attend a preparatory school.
PrEP
2
American
[prep]
/ prɛp /
noun
Medicine/Medical.
prep.
3
American
abbreviation
-
preparation.
-
preparatory.
-
prepare.
-
preposition.
prep.
1
British
abbreviation
-
preparation
-
preparatory
-
preposition
prep
2
British
/ prɛp /
noun
verb
Usage
What else does prep mean? Preps are people who live a preppy lifestyle, associated with young, rich, usually white men and their stereotypical fashion.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of prep
First recorded in 1860–65; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Common advice to fight it includes “closing” your kitchen after dinner, keeping tempting treats out of the house, and doing meal prep at the start of the week.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
There had been speculation about which school Prince George would attend when he finished at independent prep school Lambrook in Berkshire, with a number of private schools being suggested.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The 42-year-old mother of four had arrived at sunrise to prep for a day of virtual and in-person court hearings and free walk-in consultations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
What passes as prep today may surprise you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The room smelled like the alcohol prep pads my uncle kept in the medicine cabinet.
From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson
“A lot of the programs and community services and networks that the world relied on to deliver HIV/AIDS treatment and PrEP have been dismantled or abandoned for lack of funding for a year,” Maybarduk says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
The US government has already slashed other longstanding HIV/AIDS prevention programs including for PrEP, which had been encouraged to prevent HIV among people engaged in high-risk activities.
From Barron's ● Nov. 18, 2025
PrEP, available as a daily pill or an injection every eight weeks, significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025
“A major area of concern is coverage of PrEP for HIV,” a preventive drug that was challenged in the Texas lawsuit that came to the Supreme Court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2025
It's PrEPHer program, named after the preventative medication protecting against HIV transmission, seeks to provide Black and brown women with education on sexual health, encourage PrEP usage and connect them with resources.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2025
“We really haven’t fired on all cylinders yet. Not for a lack of effort, not for a lack of prep. So hopefully that all gets in sync pretty quick.”
From Washington Times ● Jun. 15, 2023
“There’s no such thing as too much site prep. The more you can prepare an area, the better it’s going to look later on,” he says.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 17, 2023
“We really connected more on the mental side of it. The prep. How much it takes to be prepared,” he said.
From Fox News ● Jan. 26, 2020
“And it really doesn’t cost a lot to start a prep. I mean, you started with one printer.”
From The Verge ● Nov. 14, 2019
If you're fond of early rising, I'll call you all every day at six, and arrange for prep. at half-past instead of at seven.
From The Jolliest Term on Record A Story of School Life by Angela Brazil
So Aurich preps his teams by inventing highly specific scenarios for his offense to crack, every single week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
She preps "summer baskets" which include puzzle books, reading books and snacks to curb any boredom.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The kind who finally gets it together and meal preps every week?
From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2026
"The crew just shared a peaceful breakfast with our families and we jump back into training tomorrow to start our preps for a March launch to the Moon."
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
For the rest of the time, while Saint Sarah preps us with the information the studio people gave her, I keep peeking at Sausun.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Despite the change in venue, some things are universal in Nigeria, whose creaking grid is as infamous as Lagos traffic: as the models prepped backstage Friday, the power briefly cut out.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
Once your dates are prepped, lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
A Niçoise salad is a meal in itself that can be prepped ahead of time, and multiplied to feed many.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
"I hadn't prepped for after he was born."
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
I prepped the tables and bunks for holding the weight of soil, and even put the dirt in place.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Repeatedly drawing up contracts helps beginning lawyers master underlying legal theory, just like prepping reams of corporate tax returns lets accountants know how to eventually advise clients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
This isn’t about optimizing every meal, spending three hours prepping identical containers or constructing the sort of Sunday routine that makes you feel behind when you inevitably skip it.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
"I quickly learned meal prepping and batch cooking was the best way for me," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Ahead of the album’s release, Rideaux, Asghedom and their teams are prepping to host “The Prolific Experience”— a playback session and panel discussion at The Novo in downtown Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
And now the thoughts rush in: adjusting the blue prints, prepping the trailer bed, lounging on the finished deck with my friends while sipping lemonade from fancy glasses.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
