English

Noun

præliminary ‎(plural præliminaries)

1. Obsolete spelling of preliminary
   • 1658, James Harrington, The Prerogative of Popular Government: A Politicall Discourse in Two Books (Printed for Tho. Brewster at the three Bibles at the West end of Pauls Church-yard), sub-title:

     The Prerogative of Popular Government: A Politicall Discourse in Two Books. The former containing the first præliminary of Oceana, inlarged, interpreted, and vindicated from all such mistakes or slanders as have been alledged against it under the Notion of Objections; the second concerning ordination, against Dr. H. Hamond, Dr. L. Seaman, and the authors they follow.

Adjective

præliminary ‎(not comparable)

1. Obsolete spelling of preliminary
   • 1711, Michel de Montaigne (author) and Charles Cotton (translator), Essays, in Three Books (4th ed.), page 262

     He writ an excellent Latin Satyr, which I ſince Printed, wherein he excuſes the precipitation of our Intelligence, ſo ſuddenly come to perfection, ſaying, that being to have ſo ſhort continuance, as being begun ſo late, (for we were both full grown Men, and he ſome Years the older) there was no time to loſe; nor was ti’d to conform it ſelf to the example of thoſe ſlow and regular Friendſhips, that require ſo many precautions of a long præliminary Converſation.