preparatory

preparatory — adjective

1. describing work, study, or other actions whose purpose is to make a person or si

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing work, study, or other actions whose purpose is to make a person or situation ready for a later, more important event or stage.

Example

Maya spent six months on preparatory research before writing the first chapter of her thesis.

preparatory + noun (research) for an upcoming task

The architect held a preparatory meeting with the council two weeks before construction began.

preparatory + meeting/talks/discussions

Common collocations
  • preparatory work
  • preparatory stage
  • preparatory school
  • preparatory course
  • preparatory meeting
  • preparatory to leaving / signing / moving
Synonyms
  • preliminary

    very close in meaning; 'preliminary' is more common in everyday writing, while 'preparatory' stresses the readying purpose.

  • introductory

    focuses on coming first and easing someone in; less about getting fully ready.

  • preparative

    rare and bookish synonym; almost always replaced by 'preparatory' in modern English.

Antonyms
  • concluding

    describes the final stage rather than the readying stage.

  • follow-up

    happens after the main event, not before it.

Grammar Patterns

preparatory + noun

preparatory to + noun/-ing

Usage Note

Almost always attributive (in front of a noun) — you say 'a preparatory meeting' but rarely 'the meeting was preparatory'. The phrase 'preparatory to' is formal and means 'before' or 'in preparation for', usually followed by a noun or -ing form.

Common Mistakes

The meeting was preparatory.
It was a preparatory meeting.
'preparatory' normally sits in front of a noun; predicative use sounds odd.
Preparatory to leave the office, she packed her laptop.
Preparatory to leaving the office, she packed her laptop.
'preparatory to' takes a noun or -ing form, not a bare infinitive.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that comes before a main event, but they differ in feel and use. 'Preparatory' is formal and stresses the practical purpose of getting ready — preparatory work, a preparatory course. 'Preliminary' is the most common everyday choice and simply marks something as 'first' or 'initial', such as preliminary results or a preliminary discussion; it does not always imply active preparation. 'Introductory' focuses on easing a newcomer into a topic, as in an introductory chapter or an introductory offer for new customers. 'Preparative' carries the same core meaning as 'preparatory' but sounds bookish today and is rarely chosen by modern writers. A useful test: a preliminary meeting may just be a first chat, while a preparatory meeting is held specifically to make later action possible.

preparatory ↗preliminary ↗introductory ↗preparative

Common collocations

Nouns

  • preparatory work
  • preparatory stage
  • preparatory school
  • preparatory course
  • preparatory meeting
  • preparatory steps
  • preparatory phase

Adverbs

  • purely preparatory
  • largely preparatory
  • merely preparatory

Phrases

  • preparatory to leaving
  • preparatory to signing
  • in a preparatory capacity

Prepositions

  • preparatory to (+ noun / -ing)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from late Latin 'praeparatorius', built from 'prae-' meaning 'before' and 'parare' meaning 'to make ready'. It entered English in the late 1400s through Old French, first appearing in writing about study and religious training. The related verb 'prepare' arrived around the same time, so the two words have always travelled together in English.