I.
noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ essential ( esp. BrE ), necessary
▪ usual ( esp. BrE )
▪
After the usual preliminaries the meeting began.
PREPOSITION
▪ as a ~
▪
The two presidents met today, as a ~ to resuming the peace talks.
▪ ~ to
▪
an essential ~ to serious research
PHRASES
▪ without preliminaries
▪
She began speaking intensely, without preliminaries.
II.
adj.
Preliminary is used with these nouns: ↑ approval , ↑ conclusion , ↑ conference , ↑ data , ↑ design , ↑ discussion , ↑ draft , ↑ drawing , ↑ enquiry , ↑ estimate , ↑ evaluation , ↑ examination , ↑ experiment , ↑ finding , ↑ hearing , ↑ indication , ↑ injunction , ↑ inspection , ↑ investigation , ↑ meeting , ↑ observation , ↑ phase , ↑ reconnaissance , ↑ remark , ↑ report , ↑ result , ↑ round , ↑ ruling , ↑ sketch , ↑ stage , ↑ step , ↑ study , ↑ talk , ↑ test , ↑ training , ↑ version , ↑ work