Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

preliminary

/pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.16 in modern English

Syllables: pre-lim-i-nary
IPA: /pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

5

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

In preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory.

noun

A preparation for a main matter; an introduction.

noun

Any of a series of sports events that determine the finalists.

noun

A relatively minor contest that precedes a major one, especially in boxing.

Example Sentences

"These are just the preliminary results."
"And then, after a few preliminary tries, the whole farm burst out into 'Beasts of England' in tremendous unison."
"The Zurich group has shared a preliminary writeup of its findings."
"An email from ICE headquarters to the agency’s top officials on October 5 lamented that “a considerable amount of athletically allergic candidates” had been showing up to the academy; they had “misrepresented” their physical condition on application forms. The email directed leaders at ICE’s field offices to conduct preliminary fitness exams with new recruits before sending them to the academy."
"In the Chinese novels, often of a very literary character, devoted to masculine love, it seems that all the preliminaries and transports of normal love are to be found, while physical union may terminate the scene."

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin praelīmināris, formed from prae- (“before”) + līmen (“threshold”) + -āris (adjectival suffix); compare Latin līmināris (“of or belonging to a threshold”). Compare French préliminaire.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: préliminaire

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/
British English: /pɹɪˈlɪmɪn(ə)ɹi/

Inflected Forms

præliminary (alternative, archaic) preliminaries (plural)

Derived Forms

nonpreliminary postpreliminary preliminarily

Phrases

preliminary considerations preliminary examination preliminary injunction preliminary results preliminary ruling

Synonyms

initial introductory preparatory overture prelude prelim

Antonyms

definitive final

Questions

How do you pronounce preliminary?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɹɪˈlɪmɪnɛɹi/.
What does preliminary mean?: In preparation for the main matter; initial, introductory, preparatory.
Where does preliminary come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce preliminary

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