# preliminary

/pɹiˈɫɪməˌnɛɹi/ (US) · /pɹɪlˈɪmɪnəɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/preliminary
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. preparatory

adjective · CEFR B2 · Academic

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

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

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

### 2. introductory step

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

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

### 3. qualifying round

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- She performed well in the preliminaries and easily made it to the final race.
- The young sprinter surprised the scouts by breaking the national record during the preliminaries, long before the medal rounds had even started.

## Examples

- The team passed the preliminaries and reached the final.
- After the usual preliminaries of handshakes and small talk, the two leaders began the formal negotiation.
- The committee spent several weeks on the necessary preliminaries, ensuring that all legal requirements were met before the public inquiry officially commenced.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.