preclinical

adjective

pre·​clin·​i·​cal (ˌ)prē-ˈkli-ni-kəl How to pronounce preclinical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or concerned with the period preceding clinical manifestations
2
: of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry
3
: occurring prior to clinical testing
a preclinical animal study of a new therapy

Examples of preclinical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Researchers emphasized the need for preclinical and clinical studies to establish causal effects. Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Can Rat Study Findings Translate Directly to Humans? Rats are commonly used as stand-ins for humans in preclinical research, according to Peter Landrigan, MD, a co-author of the study and director of the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good at Boston College. Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 20 June 2025 Showing great promise in preclinical studies, PMR-116 disrupts a pathway downstream of MYC, inhibiting an enzyme that stunts the synthesis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) – a process that's crucial in protein synthesis. Bronwyn Thompson, New Atlas, 13 June 2025 In 2022, the Chinese Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery published a review of preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the properties of a PN, polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), mainly extracted from salmon sperm cells. New Atlas, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for preclinical

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preclinical was in 1876

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preclinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preclinical. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Medical Definition

preclinical

adjective
pre·​clin·​i·​cal (ˈ)prē-ˈklin-i-kəl How to pronounce preclinical (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, concerned with, or being the period preceding clinical manifestations
the preclinical stage of diabetes mellitus
b
: occurring prior to a clinical trial
preclinical animal testing to assess a drug's safety
2
: of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry
the preclinical years
specifically : of or relating to the early period of prescribed medical or dental study devoted to the basic sciences (as anatomy, physiology, and pathology)
preclinical studies
3
: of, relating to, or being a science basic to medicine
research in the preclinical sciences
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!