# preliminary

Pronunciation: US say "pri-LIM-i-nair-ee" /pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/; UK say "pri-LIM-i-nuh-ree" /pɹɪˈlɪmɪn(ə)ɹi/

## Adjective

1. Coming before and in preparation for the main matter; initial or introductory.
   - Simple: Coming before the main part, to help get things ready.
   - _The committee released its preliminary findings ahead of the full report._
   - _After a few preliminary remarks, the speaker turned to the main topic._

## Noun

2. An action or step that prepares the way for the main matter; an introduction.
   - Simple: Something done first to get ready for the main event.
   - _After the usual preliminaries, the negotiations began in earnest._
   - _She treated the interview as a mere preliminary to the real test._
3. One of a series of sporting contests held to determine which competitors advance to the finals.
   - Simple: An early game in a competition that decides who reaches the final.
   - _He was eliminated in the preliminaries before reaching the main draw._
   - _Only the top two from each preliminary advance to the next round._
4. A relatively minor contest, especially in boxing, that takes place before the major event of the program.
   - Simple: A smaller boxing match held before the main fight of the night.
   - _He fought several preliminaries before earning a spot on the main card._
   - _The crowd was still thin during the opening preliminary._

## Origin

Borrowed from New Latin praelīmināris, made from prae- ("before") plus līmen ("threshold") and an adjective ending -āris; compare French préliminaire.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/preliminary (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).