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pre·lim·i·nar·y (prĭ-lĭmə-nĕr′ē)
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adj.
Prior to or preparing for the main matter, action, or business; introductory or prefatory.
n. pl. pre·lim·i·nar·ies
often preliminaries Something that precedes another item of a similar kind, especially:
a. A contest to determine the finalists in a competition.
b. An event that precedes the main event, especially in boxing or wrestling.
c. An academic examination taken before a longer, more complex, or more important examination.
d. An introductory remark made before a speech, presentation, or meeting.
[From New Latin praelīmināris : Latin prae-, pre- + Latin līmen, līmin-, threshold.]
pre·lim′i·nari·ly (-nârə-lē) adv.
Synonyms: preliminary, introductory, prefatory, preparatory
These adjectives mean going before and preparing the way for something else: a preliminary investigation; introductory remarks; an author's prefatory notes; preparatory steps.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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