preliminarywork

noun
UK /prɪˈlɪmɪnəri wɜːk/
US /prɪˈlɪmɪneri wɜːrk/

Work you do first to get ready for the main thing.

We did some preliminary work before building the treehouse.

SYNONYMS

preparationgroundworkspadeworksetupprep

RELATED WORDS

planningresearchdraftfoundationorganizing

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Early tasks done before a test or project begins.

The preliminary work for the science fair took a whole week.

3. Basic steps taken before the real action starts.

The team finished the preliminary work and then started the game.

4. The first part of a big job that helps the rest go smoothly.

Doing preliminary work made the puzzle easier to solve.