preliminaries
word · lemma: preliminary
Definition
Preliminaries are actions or events that happen before something more important, like preparation steps before a main event or competition. They can also refer to early rounds in sports or formalities before getting started.
Usage & Nuances
Mostly formal; common in sports, competitions, and official events. 'Preliminaries' often appears in the plural. In conversation, sometimes replaced with 'warm-up', 'intro', or 'opening rounds'. Not to be confused with 'preliminary' (adjective).
Example Sentences
The preliminaries of the competition will start at 9 a.m.
basic
We finished the preliminaries before the main meeting.
basic
Athletes must pass the preliminaries to reach the finals.
basic
Let’s skip the preliminaries and get straight to business.
natural
After all the usual preliminaries, the ceremony finally began.
natural
The interviews were just the preliminaries for the actual selection process.
natural