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

The proof-of-concept preclinical trial involved gallbladder removals in large, non-primate mammals. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 July 2026

Still, much of this evidence comes from laboratory and preclinical work. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026

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

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