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
Candidate therapies are in preclinical development, with plans to begin first-in-human clinical trials in the next year.
—
Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
The support will help the preclinical work, early clinical testing, and manufacturing of the vaccine candidates.
—Allison Deangelis, STAT, 1 June 2026
Vella's preclinical research identified a cannabinoid combination—CBD paired with CBDA, the raw acidic precursor to CBD found in hemp plants—that could address the muscle directly.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
If the researchers are successful, they may be awarded an additional $4 million to finish their preclinical development and start the first phase of a human safety trial.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclinical
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Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
The support will help the preclinical work, early clinical testing, and manufacturing of the vaccine candidates.
—Allison Deangelis, STAT, 1 June 2026
Vella's preclinical research identified a cannabinoid combination—CBD paired with CBDA, the raw acidic precursor to CBD found in hemp plants—that could address the muscle directly.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
If the researchers are successful, they may be awarded an additional $4 million to finish their preclinical development and start the first phase of a human safety trial.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclinical
Cite this Entry
“Preclinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preclinical. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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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