Meaning & use
preliminary
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Coming before the main part of something, often as preparation or introduction.
Grammar: Used before a noun: preliminary results. Not usually after a verb.
Patterns
- preliminary results
- preliminary findings
- preliminary stage
The preliminary results of the study are encouraging.
We need to do some preliminary work before we can start the project.
The preliminary round of the competition will be held next week.
nouncountable
An introductory or preparatory action or event.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural: preliminaries.
Patterns
- a preliminary to something
- the preliminaries of something
The meeting was just a preliminary to the real negotiations.
The preliminaries of the trial took two days.
They treated the discussion as a preliminary to signing the agreement.
Word forms
| plural | preliminaries |
|---|
Common combinations
- preliminary results
- Preliminary results suggest the treatment is effective.
- preliminary findings
- The preliminary findings will be published next month.
- preliminary stage
- We are still at the preliminary stage of planning.
- preliminary round
- She won her preliminary round easily.
- preliminary investigation
- Police have opened a preliminary investigation into the incident.
Synonyms and how they differ
- initial
- Initial means happening at the very beginning; preliminary often implies it is done as preparation for something more important.
- introductory
- Introductory is used for things that introduce a subject or event; preliminary is more about preparation before the main part.
- preparatory
- Preparatory means done in order to get ready; preliminary is similar but often suggests a first step that may be changed.
Opposites
Word family
- preliminaries noun
- The first parts or preparatory steps of an event.
- preliminarily adverb
- In a preliminary way; as a first step.
Commonly confused: preliminary or preliminaries?
preliminary vs preliminaries
Preliminaries is the plural noun; preliminary is the adjective or singular noun.
Practice
The ______ results are not final, so we should wait for the full report.
Choose one answer.
We need an adjective before 'results'. 'Preliminary' is the correct adjective. 'Preliminarily' is an adverb and cannot modify 'results'. 'Preliminaries' is a plural noun and would not fit before another noun. 'Preliminary's' is a possessive and does not make sense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “preliminary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.