preliminary (prɪˈlɪmɪnərɪ
)
Definitions
adjective
- (usually prenominal) occurring before or in preparation; introductory
noun
- a preliminary event or occurrence
- an eliminating contest held before the main competition
Alternative Forms
preˈliminarily adverbWord Origin
C17: from New Latin praelīmināris, from Latin prae before + līmen thresholdSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
first,
opening,
trial,
initial,
test,
pilot,
prior,
introductory,
preparatory,
exploratory,
initiatory,
prefatory,
precursory,
=
introduction,
opening,
beginning,
foundation,
start,
preparation,
first round
prelude,
preface,
overture,
initiation,
preamble,
groundwork,
prelims,
Usage examples
But surely Mademoiselle Colin had not had time yet to come to grips even with the preliminaries.
, Moondrop to Murder (1986)This time, his character, a likeable radiologist, was the witness, albeit only to the preliminaries leading up to a rape.
Spiked (2004)The confidence gained from the Clement win was evident from the moment Hewitt bounced through the pre-match preliminaries.
The Mercury, Sunday Tasmanian (2005)But he was soon reminded about the pay-for-play dispute that had clouded the preliminaries to the tournament.
Sun, News of the World (1999)6 Transpersonal self 7 Collective unconscious and some preliminaries are to be found in the next chapter.
, Visualization - the key to fulfilment (1990)