Meanings
- pluralplural of prelim
- The preliminary front matter of a book; all content preceding the main text or work itself.
A book usually consists of three sections: preliminary matter (also called prelims or front matter), the main text, and end matter. All books have some kind of prelims, all have a text, and most works of non-fiction have end matter.
2014, “1.1 General Principles”, in “The parts of a book”, in New Oxford Style Manual, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 1Synonyms: front matter
- collectiveuncountableOxford University slangPreliminary examinations taken as a whole, as sat by an individual or year group.
Are you done with prelims yet?
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe preliminary front matter of a book; all content preceding the main text or work itself.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
prelims. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prelims
“prelims.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prelims. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prelims,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prelims.
Source: prelims on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.