preliminary

preliminary — adjective

1. done or happening first as an early step that leads to the main event, decision,

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

done or happening first as an early step that leads to the main event, decision, or version later

Example

The team sent a preliminary schedule before choosing the final dates.

pattern: preliminary + schedule

Doctors ordered preliminary tests before the child started the new treatment.

collocation: preliminary tests

Common collocations
  • preliminary schedule
  • preliminary tests
  • preliminary meeting
  • preliminary report
  • preliminary list
Synonyms
  • initial

    close in meaning, but initial mainly marks the first point in a sequence

  • introductory

    often used for something that starts explanation or study

  • preparatory

    more directly stresses getting ready for what follows

  • tentative

    adds the idea that something may still change

Antonyms
  • final

    fully decided or complete, not an early version

  • main

    refers to the most important stage or event itself

  • conclusive

    stresses that later doubt or further steps are no longer needed

Grammar Patterns

preliminary + report

preliminary + meeting

preliminary + results

preliminary + list

preliminary + tests

Usage Note

Usually placed before a noun. It often signals that something is temporary or incomplete because a fuller version, decision, or event will come later.

Common Mistakes

We had a preliminary to discuss the budget.
We had a preliminary meeting to discuss the budget.
In everyday use, this sense is usually an adjective before a noun.

preliminary — noun

Word family

  • preliminarily
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For adjective/1, preliminary is useful when something comes first and helps lead to a later main stage. Initial is broader: it simply marks the first point in a sequence, so an initial payment may not prepare for anything. Introductory is common for lessons, chapters, or remarks that open a subject. Preparatory puts the strongest focus on practical readiness, especially before training, exams, or formal action. Tentative overlaps when an early version may still change, but it stresses uncertainty more than sequence. You can say a preliminary report before the full investigation, an introductory chapter before deeper study, a preparatory class before the test, and a tentative date if the plan is not fixed yet.

initial ↗introductory ↗preparatory ↗tentative ↗

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinFrenchEnglish

Preliminary comes from a Latin idea meaning 'before the threshold'. It reached English through Medieval Latin and French, carrying the sense of something that happens before you fully enter the main action or stage. That older image helps explain why the word is often used for reports, meetings, tests, and other first steps.