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
There was a prefatory letter by Archibald MacLeish, a professor at Harvard and a former Librarian of Congress, and an introduction by Mark Schorer, a professor of English at Berkeley, along with blurbs from other eminent men of letters.
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Despite some discouraging downward trends, all the prefatory jawing could go a long way toward siphoning off a fair number of viewers who might otherwise be locked in on the NFL.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The prefatory pause gives the audience a chance to applaud a starry ensemble.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Despite some discouraging downward trends, all the prefatory jawing could go a long way toward siphoning off a fair number of viewers who might otherwise be locked in on the NFL.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The prefatory pause gives the audience a chance to applaud a starry ensemble.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefatory
Adjective
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When interview invitations arrive, candidates have already done the reflective and preparatory work that helps make those conversations productive instead of reactive.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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The artist painted the mural singlehandedly, by hand, says the complaint, over many weeks, without preparatory sketches.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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The California Democrat was so unfamiliar to the incoming president that Biden badly mispronounced his name at an introductory news conference.—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
31 May 2026
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Locke’s children’s book is an introductory lesson about gender-inclusive pronouns.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The sources described it as a preliminary operation laying the groundwork for additional steps by installing listening devices and intelligence equipment in the area.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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Officials explained on a call earlier Wednesday that the case was a ‘presumptive positive,’ which means preliminary tests were positive but that results needed to be confirmed, according to Reuters.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prefatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefatory. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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