preliminary

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​lim·​i·​nary pri-ˈli-mə-ˌner-ē 

: coming before and usually forming a necessary prelude to something else

preliminary studies

preliminary results

preliminarily

pri-ˌli-mə-ˈner-ə-lē 

adverb

preliminary

2 of 2

noun

plural preliminaries

: something that precedes or is introductory or preparatory: such as

a

: a preliminary heat or trial (as of a race)

b

: a minor match preceding the main event (as of a boxing card)

c

: a preliminary scholastic examination

d

preliminaries plural, British : front matter

Synonyms of preliminary

Adjective

• preparatory
• introductory

Noun

• prelude

Examples of preliminary in a Sentence

Adjective

Preliminary findings show that the drug could help patients with skin cancer.

The team was eliminated in the preliminary round of the tournament.

research that is preliminary to the study

Noun

a meeting to discuss seating arrangements that was merely a preliminary to the formal negotiating sessions

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The letter outlined how the city’s budget proposal, scheduled to be released Thursday, could include a preliminary recommendation of layoffs. —Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026

Charlie Tingos scored 13 points, Andre Chavushian added 10 in Belmont’s 51-40 preliminary round victory over Chelmsford. —Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026

Noun

Switzerland crushed Germany in the men’s curling preliminaries, keeping a consistent lead before ending the game with a score of 8-4. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026

Meanwhile, the men’s hockey teams continue to navigate the preliminaries after a later start to their tournament. —Matt Moret, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French préliminaires, plural, from Medieval Latin praeliminaris, adjective, preliminary, from Latin prae- pre- + limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

Adjective

1657, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preliminary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

Kids Definition

preliminary

1 of 2 noun

pre·​lim·​i·​nary pri-ˈlim-ə-ˌner-ē 

plural preliminaries

: something preliminary

preliminary

2 of 2 adjective

: coming before the main part or item : introductory

preliminarily

-ˌlim-ə-ˈner-ə-lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

preliminary

adjective

pre·​lim·​i·​nary

pri-ˈli-mə-ˌner-ē

: coming before and usually serving as a temporary or intermediate step to something

preliminary negotiations

a preliminary payment plan

preliminarily adverb

preliminary noun