preliminary

Everyday

1. Preliminary means coming before the main part and getting ready for it. tree →
2. A preliminary is a first step or early round, such as a heat in a competition. tree →
3. (formal) Preliminaries are things done before the main business, such as greetings. tree →

In the lessons

In science a preliminary test is a small first trial before the real experiment. In sport preliminary rounds decide who goes to the final. In formal exam voice: «preliminary results», «preliminary findings». Phrases: «preliminary round», «preliminary results», «without preliminaries».

Examples

• We did a preliminary test before the real experiment. tree →
• Our team won the preliminary round. tree →
• The preliminary results look good. tree →
• After the preliminaries, the meeting began. tree →
• A preliminary drawing helps you plan a picture. tree →
• (formal) Preliminary findings indicate an increase in rainfall. tree →
• He skipped the preliminaries and got straight to the point. tree →
• The preliminary heats are in the morning. tree →
• Some stories start off without any preliminary formula, or with a simple "Well, there was once a ----". tree →

Note

Spelling: pre-lim-in-ar-y (5 syllables). Plural noun: preliminaries. Preliminary results may change; they are not final.