Dictionary Definition
preliminary adj : designed to orient or acquaint
with a situation before proceeding; "a preliminary
investigation"
Noun
1 a minor match preceding the main event [syn:
prelim]
2 something that serves as a preceding event or
introduces what follows; "training is a necessary preliminary to
employment"; "drinks were the overture to dinner" [syn: overture, prelude]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Adjective
- in preparation
for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory
- These are just the preliminary results.
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
in preparation for the main matter
- Czech: předběžný
- Finnish: alustava, preliminaarinen, esi-
- German: vorläufig, vorbereitend
Noun
- A preparation for a main matter; an introduction
- Any of a series of sports events that determine the finalists
- A relatively minor contest that precedes a major one, especially in boxing
Extensive Definition
Preliminary may refer to:
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
advance, advanced, antecedent, anterior, arrangement, avant-garde,
avant-propos, basic training, beginning, breakthrough, briefing, chief, clearing the decks, coming
out, curtain raiser, debut, embarkation, embarkment, equipment, exordial, exordium, exploratory, familiarization,
first, first appearance,
fixing, floating, flotation, foremost, forerunning, foreword, foundation, front matter,
frontispiece,
groundwork, headmost, inaugural, inaugural address,
inauguration,
induction, initial, initiation, initiatory, innovation, installation, installment, introduction, introductory, launching, leading, leap, maiden speech, makeready, making ready,
manufacture,
mobilization,
opener, opening, original, overture, planning, postulate, preamble, prearrangement, precedence, precedent, preceding, precessional, precursory, preface, prefatory, prefix, prefixed, prefixture, preliminaries, preliminary
act, preliminary step, prelude, preludial, prelusive, premise, premonitory, prep, preparation, preparatory, preparatory
study, preparing,
prepositive,
prepping, prerequisite, presupposition, pretreatment, prevenient, prior, processing, prodromal, prodrome, prodromic, proem, proemial, prolegomena, prolegomenon, prolepsis, prologue, propaedeutic, protasis, provision, readying, spadework, training, treatment, trial, tryout, unveiling, verse, voluntary, warm-up