preliminary

/prɪˈlɪməˌnɛri/
adjective
  1. Happening before something more important, often as a preparation or test.
    • Preliminary results suggest the new drug is effective.
    • The team held a preliminary meeting to discuss the project timeline.
    • She passed the preliminary exam and moved on to the final round.
Antonyms
noun
  1. An event, action, or test that comes before and prepares for something more important.
    • After a few preliminaries like introductions, the main speaker began.
    • The athlete won her preliminary and advanced to the semifinals.
    • The research paper includes a preliminary that reviews past studies.