prep ‧ a ‧ ra ‧ tion S3 W3 /ˌprepəˈreɪʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ preparation , preparations, ↑ preparedness ; adjective : ↑ prepared ≠ ↑ unprepared , ↑ preparatory ; verb : ↑ prepare ]
1 . [singular, uncountable] the process of preparing something or preparing for something:
This dish is good for dinner parties because much of the preparation can be done ahead of time.
preparation for
Business training is a good preparation for any career.
preparation of
the preparation of the budget
do something in preparation for something (=in order to prepare for something)
He is practising every day, in preparation for the ice-skating championship.
Plans for the new school are now in preparation.
a course in food service and food preparation
2 . preparations [plural] arrangements for something that is going to happen
preparations for
Preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games are nearing completion.
Preparations are being made for the President’s visit.
The festival was a great success, and preparations are underway (=have started) for another one next summer.
3 . [countable] formal a mixture that has been prepared and that is used for a particular purpose, especially as a medicine or to make your skin more attractive:
a new preparation for cleansing the skin
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ careful preparation
Moving to a new house requires careful preparation.
▪ thorough preparation (=very careful and detailed)
Thorough preparation is the best way to do well in an exam.
▪ meticulous preparation (=extremely careful not to miss any details)
The robbery took place after months of meticulous preparation.
▪ good/ideal preparation (=very useful)
The game was good preparation for our match at Torquay next week.
▪ adequate/proper preparation
You cannot go on a dangerous trip like this without adequate preparation.
■ verbs
▪ do some/no preparation
He had obviously done no preparation for the meeting.
▪ need/require preparation
Important competitions need proper preparation.
▪ be in preparation formal (=used to say that something is being prepared)
Reports are in preparation.