Preliminary Meaning
/pɹɪˈlɪmɪn(ə)ɹi/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjIn preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory.
nounA preparation for a main matter; an introduction.
Sentence Examples
Before we begin, a number of preliminary remarks are in order.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 20th.
After a few preliminary remarks he announced the winners.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The students must pass the ____ test before they can take the advanced course.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ results of the study were promising, but further research was needed to confirm them.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from New Latin praelīmināris, formed from prae- (“before”) + līmen (“threshold”) + -āris (adjectival suffix); compare Latin līmināris (“of or belonging to a threshold”). Compare French préliminaire.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into 'Beasts of England' in tremendous unison."
— 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:
"The Zurich group has shared a preliminary writeup of its findings."
— 2025 April 28, Kate Travis, “Experiment using AI-generated posts on Reddit draws fire for ethics concerns”, in Retraction Watch, archived from the original on 10 Jun 2025:
"An email from ICE headquarters to the agency’s top officials on October 5 lamented that “a considerable amount of athletically allergic candidates” had been showing up to the academy; they had “misrepresented” their physical condition on application forms. The email directed leaders at ICE’s field offices to conduct preliminary fitness exams with new recruits before sending them to the academy."
— 2025 October 20, Nick Miroff, “ICE’s ‘Athletically Allergic’ Recruits”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 20 Oct 2025:
"In the Chinese novels, often of a very literary character, devoted to masculine love, it seems that all the preliminaries and transports of normal love are to be found, while physical union may terminate the scene."
— 1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6):
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The students must pass the ____ test before they can take the advanced course.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ results of the study were promising, but further research was needed to confirm them.