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

Father Juan Mechán Sánchez, the parochial vicar at Santa María Cathedral, said he had been sleeping only a few hours each night in preparation for the pope.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

"I'm very pleased in general with the players and how they have gone about it, their preparation, ownership and engagement. You know in these games it's about the margins," said Slegers.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

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

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

Lillian had already gotten up and was putting on her robe and house shoes in preparation for the impending predawn ritual at the tree.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

One Southeast Asian diplomat involved in summit preparations told AFP he did not see any agreement being reached in Manila.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

In December of that year, Education Department officials said the agency had made preparations to begin wage garnishment, only to pull back from that announcement weeks later.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

For home bakers hoping to get through the holidays without a collapsed pie crust, the team’s preparations offer a glimpse of dessert at its most extreme.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

Norrie will face top seed Taylor Fritz next as he continues his preparations for this month's Davis Cup Finals.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

Before Christmas, we continued our preparations as if every action, every minor addition to our stores might make the difference between surviving, and not; after Christmas, we waited.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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Related Words

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

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