preliminarily
|pre-lim-i-nar-i-ly|
C1
🇺🇸
/prɪˈlɪmɪˌnɛrɪli/
🇬🇧
/prɪˈlɪmɪn(ə)rɪli/
(preliminary)
preparatory stage
Etymology
Etymology Information
'preliminarily' originates from the Latin word 'prae-' meaning 'before' and 'limen' meaning 'threshold'.
Historical Evolution
'prae-limen' transformed into the French word 'préliminaire', and eventually became the modern English word 'preliminary' through Middle English.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'before the threshold', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'serving as a preparation or introduction'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a preliminary manner; as a precursor or introduction to something else.
The results were preliminarily discussed before the final report was published.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/05/18 11:09