1. (a.) Introductory; previous; preceding the main discourse or business; prefatory; as, preliminary observations to a discourse or book; preliminary articles to a treaty; preliminary measures; preliminary examinations.

2. (n.) That which precedes the main discourse, work, design, or business; something introductory or preparatory; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or duel; to take one's preliminaries the year before entering college.

advance advanced antecedent anterior arrangement avant-garde avant-propos basic training beginning breakthrough briefing chief clearing the decks coming out curtain raiser debut embarkation embarkment equipment exordial exordium exploratory familiarization first first appearance fixing floating flotation foremost forerunning foreword foundation front matter frontispiece groundwork headmost inaugural inaugural address inauguration induction initial initiation initiatory innovation installation installment introduction introductory launching leading leap maiden speech makeready making ready manufacture mobilization opener opening original overture planning postulate preamble prearrangement precedence precedent preceding precessional precursory preface prefatory prefix prefixed prefixture preliminaries preliminary act preliminary step prelude preludial prelusive premise premonitory prep preparation preparatory preparatory study preparing prepositive prepping prerequisite presupposition pretreatment prevenient prior processing prodromal prodrome prodromic proem proemial prolegomena prolegomenon prolepsis prologue propaedeutic protasis provision readying spadework training treatment trial tryout unveiling verse voluntary warm-up