preclinical
adjective
pre·clin·i·cal
(ˌ)prē-ˈkli-ni-kəl 
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
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According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, THCA has shown promise in preclinical studies for inflammation and neuroprotection.
—
Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2025
Additionally, obesity and preclinical obesity, affecting nearly three-quarters of adults, are risk factors to developing heart disease.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
With preclinical obesity, the person has excess body fat that has not affected the function of their tissues and organs.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 20 Jan. 2025
The researchers have published their findings in a paper that appeared in Nature Chemical Engineering, and their next step is to see how well this translates to humans, with preclinical studies.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2025
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Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2025
Additionally, obesity and preclinical obesity, affecting nearly three-quarters of adults, are risk factors to developing heart disease.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
With preclinical obesity, the person has excess body fat that has not affected the function of their tissues and organs.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 20 Jan. 2025
The researchers have published their findings in a paper that appeared in Nature Chemical Engineering, and their next step is to see how well this translates to humans, with preclinical studies.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preclinical
Cite this Entry
“Preclinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preclinical. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
preclinical
adjective
pre·clin·i·cal
(ˈ)prē-ˈklin-i-kəl
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
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