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
These include preclinical studies, safety evaluation in humans, immune-response studies, regulatory review, evaluation of clinical trial sites, ethical approvals and data generation for any emergency-use or licensure pathway.
—
Paul Adepoju, Scientific American, 14 June 2026
The acquisition also includes an early-stage medicine as well as Nuvalent’s preclinical portfolio of multiple programs.
—Anniek Bao,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 9 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, 7 June 2026
The research is entirely preclinical, meaning all findings so far come from mouse models and lab settings.
—Allison Palmer
june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclinical
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Paul Adepoju, Scientific American, 14 June 2026
The acquisition also includes an early-stage medicine as well as Nuvalent’s preclinical portfolio of multiple programs.
—Anniek Bao,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 9 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, 7 June 2026
The research is entirely preclinical, meaning all findings so far come from mouse models and lab settings.
—Allison Palmer
june 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 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 19 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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