Meaning & use

preliminarily

adverb·Advanced

In a way that comes before the main part of something; as an initial step.

See it in a sentence

The results were preliminarily reviewed before the full study was published.

Investigators preliminarily concluded that the fire started in the kitchen.

A note on using this word

This adverb is more formal than 'initially' and appears mainly in academic, legal, or scientific writing.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

finallyconclusively

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “preliminarily”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.