“+ adjective
Etymology: pre- + clinical
1. : of or relating to the period preceding clinical manifestations
the preclinical stage of a disease of slow onset
2. : of or relating to the period preceding the clinical study of medicine
the preclinical years
specifically : of or relating to the first two years of the prescribed medical course devoted to the study of basic science (as anatomy, physiology, pathology)
preclinical studies
3. : of, relating to, or being a science basic to medicine
research in the preclinical sciences