preparative

coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows <preparative warning that the injection was going to cause a modest amount of pain> Synonyms beginning, introductory, precursory, prefatory, prelim, prelusive, preliminary, preparatory, primaryRelated Words introducing, prefacing, preparing, readying; premonitory, warning; basic, elementary, fundamental; ahead, early, former, preceding, previous, priorNear Antonyms after, behind, following, subsequent