preparative

as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows preparative warning that the injection was going to cause a modest amount of pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preparative Just weeks after announcing a plan (or at least the preparative study of a plan) to reconstruct Park Avenue in its premodern, superior form, the city has just revealed a major makeover for Fifth. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2024 One such approach involves utilizing advanced chromatography techniques like flash chromatography or preparative HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2023 Using photography as a preparative tool as well as an art form later in life reveals Degas to have been a more progressive artist that was willing to experiment. San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2019 Gordon explains that the body has quite a bit of pre-labor preparative work to do. Tanya Ward Goodman, Orange County Register, 5 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preparative
Adjective
  • In two rooms upstairs, there were hundreds of works: from art-school sketches and preparatory crayon drawings to large-scale, fully realized paintings that had taken Orlik months to complete.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
  • That makes the Gold Cup, a three-week tournament with group play and a single-elimination knockout stage, an important preparatory test for the three hosts even if the field is less than stellar.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Where to collect, what to collect, how to collect, how to analyze China's final pick of a landing zone will rely on a review of 86 preliminary landing sites.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 29 June 2025
  • Liza's baby is currently protected from losing U.S. citizenship due to a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court, which will now consider the merit's of Trump's plan.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • On his introductory media call with the Ducks, Trouba said Drury forced him to choose between accepting a trade to a team on his no-trade list and going on waivers — the same way the GM got out of Goodrow’s contract nearly six months earlier.
    Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • An introductory video shows views of the sky overhead and landscape along the sides of the aircraft via the screens.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 18 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preparative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preparative. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!