American Dictionary

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Definition preliminary in American English

preliminary noun

[countable] noun
/prɪˈlɪməˌneri/
1

something that is said or done to introduce or prepare for something else

Example

After a few brief preliminaries, she launched into her speech.

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2

the first part of a competition in which those who win compete in the main event and those who are defeated no longer take part

Synonyms and related words
Definition preliminary in American English