Preliminary and Previous

Preliminary

Preliminary adjective - Coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows.
Usage example: we need to do some preliminary research in order to properly focus the experiment

Previous and preliminary are semantically related in preceding topic. In some cases you can use "Previous" instead an adjective "Preliminary".

Previous

Previous adjective - Going before another in time or order.
Usage example: the previous math problem also included a reference to store discounts

Preliminary and previous are semantically related in preceding topic. You can use "Preliminary" instead an adjective "Previous".

Nearby Word: previously
Cite this Source
Previous and Preliminary. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/preliminary/previous
Preliminary & Previous. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/preliminary/previous>.
Previous or Preliminary. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/preliminary/previous.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "preliminary" and "previous" have occurred on timeline