What does "preliminary" mean?

1. (preparatory) happening before a more important action or event to prepare for it. 2. (introductory step) an action or event that is done as a preparation for something more important. 3. (qualifying round) an early round of a competition that decides who will go into the final.

How do you use "preliminary"?

Commonly used in academic and professional contexts to describe data, research, or meetings. Often used in the plural form 'preliminaries' to refer to introductory remarks or administrative steps.

preliminary

adj. · n.

US //pɹiˈɫɪməˌnɛɹi// UK //pɹɪlˈɪmɪnəɹi// pre·lim·i·nary

1 preparatory (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

happening before a more important action or event to prepare for it.

preceding and leading up to the main part, matter, or business; introductory in nature.

Example

The doctors shared the preliminary results of the tests with the family.

Example

After a preliminary investigation, the committee concluded that there was sufficient evidence to warrant a full-scale inquiry into the department's finances.

Usage

Commonly used in academic and professional contexts to describe data, research, or meetings.
- final
- concluding
2 introductory step (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

an action or event that is done as a preparation for something more important.

an initial step, measure, or statement that serves as an introduction to a main subject or event.

Example

Once the preliminaries were over, the two leaders began their private meeting.

Example

The legal team spent months dealing with the necessary preliminaries before the actual trial could begin in the High Court.

Usage

Often used in the plural form 'preliminaries' to refer to introductory remarks or administrative steps.
- prelude
- preparation
- finale

Show 1 more senseShow fewer

3 qualifying round (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

an early round of a competition that decides who will go into the final.

an initial round or heat in a sporting competition, the results of which determine the participants for the final stages.

Example

She performed well in the preliminaries and easily made it to the final race.

Example

The young sprinter surprised the scouts by breaking the national record during the preliminaries, long before the medal rounds had even started.
- qualifier
- heat
- final

Origin

Borrowed from New Latin praelīmināris, formed from prae- (“before”) + līmen (“threshold”) + -āris (adjectival suffix); compare Latin līmināris (“of or belonging to a threshold”). Compare French préliminaire.