prelim

P3R1E1L1I1M3
UK/ˈpriːlɪm/UK/prɪˈlɪm/US/priˈlɪm/US/ˈprilɪm/

adjective

Preliminary.

Similar
preliminarypreliminary examinationpreliminary exam
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

adjectiveprelim (not comparable)
  1. informalnot comparablePreliminary.
nounprelim (plural prelims)

plural prelims

  1. informalSomething preliminary, such as a trial, report, race, etc.
  2. abbreviationclippinginformalplural normallyClipping of preliminary examination; a type of exam sat at the end of the first year of most undergraduate degrees.
  3. in pluralThe preliminary front matter of a book; all content preceding the main text or work itself.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna minor match preceding the main event

Similar
preliminary
Broader
athletic contestathletic competitionathletics

nounan examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continue

Similar
preliminary examinationpreliminary exam
Broader
examinationexamtest
Also see
preliminarypreliminary examination

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Clipping of preliminary. Sense 2 ("clipping of preliminary examination") was originally Oxford University slang, now in common use.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

limperremplirimple
Cite this entry
APA

prelim. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prelim

MLA

“prelim.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prelim. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prelim,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prelim.

Source: prelim on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.