preliminary
/prɪˈlɪm·əˌner·i/ adj [not gradable]Definition
› coming before a more important action or event, esp. introducing or preparing for it: preliminary talks a preliminary investigation The preliminary rounds of negotiation went well. preliminary /prɪˈlɪm·əˌner·i/ n [C usually pl] › Her time of 12:32 took four seconds off the mark she set in Friday’s preliminaries.
(Definition of preliminary adj from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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