as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
we need to do some preliminary research in order to properly focus the experiment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
a meeting to discuss seating arrangements that was merely a preliminary to the formal negotiating sessions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preliminary
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
In the preliminary round of interviews, as noted earlier this week, as many as 15-20 took place.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The contestant from Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, took a scary tumble during the evening gown round at Wednesday’s preliminaries and was carried away in a stretcher, according to social media videos which circulated of her fall.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preliminary
Adjective
April will go into the history books as an unseasonably warm and dry month across San Diego County, conditions that make the region more prone to wildfires as summer draws near, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
In the preliminary round of interviews, as noted earlier this week, as many as 15-20 took place.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Is it reduced to yet another fill-in-the-blank preliminary to a national title game in some super-duper-they-look-alike stadium?
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The contestant from Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, took a scary tumble during the evening gown round at Wednesday’s preliminaries and was carried away in a stretcher, according to social media videos which circulated of her fall.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preliminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminary
Adjective
-
Najib was the only one of the defendants who was arrested and present in person in court Sunday for a preparatory session in the trial, which will continue next month.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Czech power company ČEZ signed a deal on Friday with Rolls-Royce SMR on preparatory work for the British company to build the first small modular nuclear reactor in the Czech Republic.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Campari by Manero opened as a pop-up and serves as a prelude to the restaurant Manero, set to open in 2026.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
After a few months in which it was heard only sporadically at local tournaments across Mexico, a homophobic chant has resurfaced strongly in recent weeks in what could be a prelude to what will happen at the 2026 World Cup.—
Carlos Rodriguez,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That archive of prints is in the process of being broken up for sale, and a few hundred of those boxes, including this set of 36 prints plus a clutch of introductory material and captions, have made their way to Daniel/Oliver, a gallery in East Williamsburg.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
-
At Fudd’s introductory press conference with the Wings on April 16, she was asked to comment on her off-court connection with Bueckers by a local reporter.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preliminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminary. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
