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·nar′i·ly(-nâr′ə-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.
When all preliminaries were over and Peleg had got everything ready for signing, he turned to me and said, I guess Quohog there don't know how to write, does he?
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