preliminary
prɪˈlɪmɪˌnəri
preliminaries
Definition Synonyms

Definition of preliminary - Reverso English Dictionary

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Noun

1.
before main eventfirst action or event before something important starts
  • The preliminaries were over before the main match began.
opening precursor prelude
2.
sportsevent before the main competition
  • The team won all their preliminaries.
elimination heat qualifier

Adjective

before main eventhappening before and preparing for something important
  • We had a preliminary meeting before the big presentation.
initial introductory preparatory
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Expressions with preliminary

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first assessment used to qualify for a later, higher-level evaluation
She passed the preliminary exam and moved on to the final test.
first stage in a contest to decide who advances
She qualified in the preliminary round of the spelling bee.
early reflections or opinions on a subject
Her preliminary thoughts on the book were positive.
early written document sharing first results before a final report
The committee released a preliminary report on the accident.
initial reservation made in advance
We made a preliminary booking for the hotel.
early assessment to identify potential issues
A preliminary check revealed several errors in the document.

Origin of preliminary

Latin, prae (before) + limen (threshold)

Terms with preliminary included in their meaning

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writing
preliminary version of a piece of writing
writing
preliminary version of a written work
writing
preliminary version of a written work
writing
paper for preliminary notes or drafts
preparation
make something wet as a preliminary step
design
make a preliminary sketch or plan
preparation
prepared in a preliminary version
planning
preliminary plan for a project

Examples of preliminary in a sentence

  • She performed well in the preliminaries last Saturday.
  • The athlete excelled in the preliminaries.
  • Preliminaries are crucial for gaining experience.
  • Preliminary results suggest the drug is effective.
  • They completed a preliminary survey of the disaster area.

View all translations of preliminary

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:préliminaire, préparatoire, ...
  2. German:Vorrunde, vorläufig, ...
  3. Italian:preliminare, gara preliminare, ...
  4. Spanish:preliminar, previo, ...
  5. Portuguese:preliminar, prévio, ...
  6. Chinese:预赛, 初步的, ...
  7. Japanese:予選, 予備の, ...
  8. Arabic:تمهيد, تَمهِيديّ, ...
  9. Hebrew:מֻקְדָּמוֹת, רָאשׁוֹנִי, ...
  10. Russian:прелюдия, предварительный, ...
  11. Ukrainian:попередні, попередній, ...
  12. Hindi:प्रारंभिक चरण, प्रारंभिक, ...
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