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

Recent Examples on the Web

How phytic acid may support gut lining repair A preclinical mouse study from the Guha Lab at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, published in Nature Communications, suggests phytic acid helps keep the intestinal barrier intact. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026

Researchers at the Guha Lab at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, ran a preclinical mouse study published in Nature Communications. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026

While other brands spend a good portion of their budget on advertising, SkinMedica invests in skin biology through preclinical studies. — Leah Groth, InStyle, 24 June 2026

Before clinical application, non-human primates such as baboons and macaques serve as recipients in preclinical transplantation studies to assess graft function and long-term survival. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 20 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for preclinical

• nonclinical
• rabbinical
• subclinical
• binnacle
• clinical
• cynical
• pinnacle

Medical 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