Definition of preparatorynext
as in preliminary
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows a preparatory investigation to see if there is enough evidence to warrant bringing charges

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Recent Examples of preparatory Another measure to speed up the preparatory studies proposes that when a power plant operator and a large load customer of a similar size both apply for access to the grid, only one study of the impact of both players joining should be conducted, rather than sequential studies. IEEE Spectrum, 24 June 2026 Separate preparatory meetings with each side are set to take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks, the diplomat said. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 15 June 2026 Anthem’s services cover all stages of drug development, including research, testing, preparatory work for clinical trials and the manufacture of pharmaceutical ingredients. Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026 This includes increasing college preparatory course availability at high schools, making financial aid systems easier to navigate, and recruiting and retaining Asian American and Pacific Islander faculty members. Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for preparatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preparatory
Adjective
  • Last month, oil prices briefly fell to their lowest level since before the war on news that a preliminary peace agreement had been reached.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • The trouble began over the weekend, NASA said, well after LINK had hit several preliminary milestones, such as deploying its solar-power arrays and test firing its xenon-gas thrusters, during its commissioning phase.
    Lee Billings, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
Adjective
  • Riley is usually at the Heat’s introductory press conferences, especially for players of James’ caliber.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Guests can also join Tibetan-style painting sessions lasting from half a day to seven days, or take a two- to three-hour introductory class in Tibetan calligraphy.
    Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Preparatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preparatory. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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