as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
in prefatory remarks he offered his own definition of "civilization", a word subject to a variety of interpretations
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Recent Examples of prefatory
The prefatory pause gives the audience a chance to applaud a starry ensemble.
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Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Could be that fans were simply exhausted by all the prefatory ugliness that led up to Washington’s first playoff victory in 18 years, but anyone who tuned out early missed a hell of a star turn from the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefatory
Adjective
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In accordance with the Lviv Statement adopted on the day, the group welcomed the finalization of the preparatory work required to establish a Special Tribunal within the Council of Europe.—
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Cheshire Academy serves as a college preparatory boarding and day school.—
Adjective
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The introductory outdoor clocks typically start around $20, with better and bigger models reaching up to around $60.—
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Of particular note here is an introductory land like a Main Street, U.S.A., leading to a central hub.—
Adjective
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That preliminary round of experimentation expanded into a larger investigation of how fungi can help heal soil after wildfire, with sites from southern Oregon all the way down to Southern California.—
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The competition — which featured 17 total contestants — unfolded this past weekend, with the preliminary round taking place on Saturday, May 10 and the finals on Sunday, May 11.—
Cite this Entry
“Prefatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefatory. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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