preliminary
Americanadjective
noun
-
something preliminary, as an introductory or preparatory step, measure, contest, etc..
He passed the preliminary and went on to the finals.
-
a boxing match or other athletic contest that takes place before the main event on the program.
A preliminary was fought at 8:00.
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a preliminary examination, as of a candidate for an academic degree.
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Printing. preliminaries, front matter.
adjective
noun
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a preliminary event or occurrence
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of preliminary
First recorded in 1650–60; from French prélimin(aire) and New Latin praelīmināris ( see pre-, liminal) + -ary
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?"
Vocabulary lists containing preliminary
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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A Spelling Bee for Fun
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Mockingbird
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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:
The newly released list is preliminary and encompasses roughly 960,000 properties out of a total of about 3.7 million units in the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary directive ordering inspections on more than 450 US 737 MAX jets over potential faulty installation of passenger seats.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The researchers scored an early victory in the case in June 2025, when federal Judge Rita F. Lin granted them a preliminary injunction reinstating the terminated grants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
If clearance is received by the Ifab in time, the first game to feature the trial will be the Carabao Cup preliminary round tie between Tranmere and Rochdale on Saturday, 1 August.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Madam, control yourself! We cannot strike terror into the Archipelagic population on the basis of one preliminary hearing. There would be chaos.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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
The Friars won the state 4x100 title in 40.27 last spring without their superstar from Compton and with him were two-hundredths off that in posting the fastest time in Friday’s preliminaries.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 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
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
The worry came from what would happen after the preliminaries.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
