Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Preliminary has 5 different meanings across 2 categories:
a minor match preceding the main event
"The preliminary round was just a quick warm-up before the heavyweight championship fight really began."
something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows
"training is a necessary preliminary to employment"
"drinks were the overture to dinner"
A preparation for a main matter; an introduction.
"Before we dive into the final report, let's go over these preliminary points to get everyone on the same page."
In plain English: A preliminary is something that happens first to get things ready for the main event.
"The preliminary was quick, so we could start the main meeting immediately."
Usage: Use "preliminary" as a noun to refer to an introductory event or activity that precedes a more important proceeding, such as the preliminary rounds of a competition before the finals. Do not use it to mean the final result or the main event itself.
denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important
"a preliminary investigation"
In preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory.
"Before we tackle the difficult contract negotiations, let's go through some preliminary questions to get everyone on the same page."
In plain English: Something that is preliminary happens before the main event gets started.
"The preliminary results showed that the medicine was effective."
Usage: Use "preliminary" to describe an action or event that happens before the main activity begins, such as preliminary rounds in a competition or preliminary questions in an interview. It specifically refers to introductory steps taken in preparation for something more significant.
The word "preliminary" comes from New Latin, where it originally described something related to a threshold because of the prefix meaning "before." It entered English with this sense of being preparatory or introductory, reflecting its roots in concepts that come before entering a main space.