| Preparatory (a.) Preparing the way; introductory; preparative; as, a preparatory school; a preparatory condition. Thesaurus Entries antecedent, anterior, basic, before, chief, elementary, essential, exordial, first, foremost, fundamental, headmost, in preparation for, inaugural, inductive, initiatory, introductory, leading, opening, precedent, preceding, precessional, precursory, prefatory, prelim, preliminary, preludial, prelusive, preparative, prerequisite, prevenient, primary, prior, proemial, propaedeutic, provident, provisional, rudimentary |