adj.
Prior to or preparing for the main matter, action, or business; introductory or prefatory.
n., pl., -ies.
- Something that precedes, prepares for, or introduces the main matter, action, or business.
- An academic test or examination that is preparatory to one that is longer, more complex, or more important.
- Sports. A contest to determine the finalists in a competition.
- Sports. An event that precedes the main event of a particular program, especially in boxing or wrestling.
- Printing. The front matter of a book. Often used in the plural.
[From New Latin praelīmināris : Latin prae-, pre- + Latin līmen, līmin-, threshold.]
preliminarily pre·lim'i·nar'i·ly (-nâr'ə-lē) adv.SYNONYMS preliminary, introductory, prefatory, preparatory. These adjectives mean going before and preparing the way for something else: a preliminary investigation; introductory remarks; an author's prefatory notes; preparatory steps.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
