as in preliminary
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
a preparatory investigation to see if there is enough evidence to warrant bringing charges
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Recent Examples of preparatory
One preparatory step for many of us: Clearing out the sticky willies, hedge parsley and crab grass that snuck into our garden beds during late February.
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Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Mar. 2024
The resolution called for a concrete process consisting of preparatory sessions in 2026 and 2027, and three-week negotiations in 2028 and 2029, where a treaty will be finalized.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
The ultimate sources of that water — three tanks each with a capacity of roughly 1 million gallons — were filled as a preparatory measure before the fires broke out, city authorities say.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
Among Muslim countries, Qatar makes sense on a logistical level because that is where all the preparatory work took place, including the brainstorming sessions that generated the office idea and the early meetings with the Taliban's leadership envoy.
—Michael Semple, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2012
See All Example Sentences for preparatory
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Mar. 2024
The resolution called for a concrete process consisting of preparatory sessions in 2026 and 2027, and three-week negotiations in 2028 and 2029, where a treaty will be finalized.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
The ultimate sources of that water — three tanks each with a capacity of roughly 1 million gallons — were filled as a preparatory measure before the fires broke out, city authorities say.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
Among Muslim countries, Qatar makes sense on a logistical level because that is where all the preparatory work took place, including the brainstorming sessions that generated the office idea and the early meetings with the Taliban's leadership envoy.
—Michael Semple, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2012
See All Example Sentences for preparatory
Cite this Entry
“Preparatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preparatory. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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