noun
- A minor match preceding the main event.
- synonyms: prelim
- Something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows.
- usage: "training is a necessary preliminary to employment"; "drinks were the overture to dinner"
adjective
- Denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important; designed to orient or acquaint with a situation before proceeding.
- usage: "a preliminary investigation"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). preliminary. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/preliminary/definitions/1181258 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "preliminary" http://smartdefine.org/preliminary/definitions/1181258 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, preliminary, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/preliminary/definitions/1181258>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "preliminary" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/preliminary/definitions/1181258> |