Толковый словарь английского языка - preliminary

I. noun (plural -naries) Etymology: French préliminaires, plural, from Medieval Latin praeliminaris, adjective, ~, from Latin praepre+ limin-, limen threshold Date: 1656 something that precedes or is introductory or preparatory: as, a ~ scholastic examination, front matter, a ~ heat or trial (as of a race), a minor match preceding the main event (as of a boxing card), II. adjective Date: circa 1667 coming before and usually forming a necessary prelude to something else , preliminarily adverb