prelim

English

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prelim

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

Where it comes from

Clipping of preliminary.

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

adjective

informal, not comparable Preliminary.

noun prelims

informal Something preliminary, such as a trial, report, race, etc.
abbreviation, clipping, informal, plural normally Clipping of preliminary examination; a type of exam sat at the end of the first year of most undergraduate degrees.
in plural The preliminary front matter of a book; all content preceding the main text or work itself.

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MLA

"prelim." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prelim. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

prelim. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prelim

Chicago

"prelim." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prelim.

BibTeX

@misc{prelim_2026,
  title = {prelim},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prelim},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}