preparation
n. C / Un. the work you do to get ready for something. It can also mean a substance, like a medicine or a meal, that someone has made.
n. the process of making something ready for use or service; also refers to a substance or mixture manufactured for a specific purpose. Often used to describe the preliminary steps taken before an event.
The team spent weeks in preparation for the big game.
Careful preparation of the soil is necessary before you plant the new seeds in the garden.
The pharmacist explained that the topical preparation should be applied sparingly to the affected area twice daily until the inflammation subsides.
From Middle English preparacion, from Middle French preparacion, from Latin praeparatio, praeparationem. Morphologically prepare + -ation.
Uncountable when referring to the abstract state of getting ready; countable when referring to specific arrangements or a manufactured substance.
I am in preparation of the examI am in preparation for the examWhen used as a state of being, the noun typically takes the preposition 'for' rather than 'of' to indicate the goal.