preparation

/ˈprɛpəˌreɪʃən/

/prɛpəˈreɪʃən/

Other forms: preparations

Preparation is the act of preparing — getting ready, planning, training, or studying with a goal in mind.

If you know pre means before, then you have a clue to the meaning of preparation. Dressing up before a date, learning your lines for a play, and attending medical school are all forms of preparation. Boot camp is preparation for soldiers. Rehearsal is preparation for actors. In cooking a huge meal, you have to do a lot of preparation before actually beginning to cook. If you fail a test, you clearly need to do more preparation next time.

Definitions of preparation

1. noun

   the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
   “preparations for the ceremony had begun”

   synonyms: readying

   types:

   fire control

   preparation for the delivery of shellfire on a target

   deployment

   the distribution of forces in preparation for battle or work

   groundwork

   preliminary preparation as a basis or foundation

   makeready

   final preparation and adjustments

   priming

   the act of making something ready

   planning

   an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action

   turnaround, turnround

   act or process of unloading and loading and servicing a vessel or aircraft for a return trip

   prolusion, tune-up, warm-up

   exercising in preparation for strenuous activity

   birth control, birth prevention, family planning

   limiting the number of children born

   redeployment, redisposition

   the withdrawal and redistribution of forces in an attempt to use them more effectively

   programing, programming, scheduling

   setting an order and time for planned events

   type of:

   activity

   any specific behavior
2. noun

   the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening
   synonyms: planning, provision

   types:

   agreement, arrangement

   the thing arranged or agreed to

   applecart

   the planning that is disrupted when someone `upsets the applecart'

   malice aforethought, mens rea

   (law) criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is illegal); often at issue in murder trials

   calculation, deliberation

   planning something carefully and intentionally

   forethought, premeditation

   planning or plotting in advance of acting

   collusion

   secret agreement

   prearrangement

   something arranged in advance

   premeditation

   (law) thought and intention to commit a crime well in advance of the crime; goes to show criminal intent

   type of:

   cerebration, intellection, mentation, thinking, thought, thought process

   the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
3. noun

   the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action)
   “their preparation was more than adequate”

   synonyms: preparedness, readiness

   types:

   ready

   poised for action

   alert, qui vive

   condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action

   air alert

   the condition in which combat aircraft are airborne and ready for an operation

   red alert

   the highest level of alert when an attack by the enemy seems imminent (or more generally a state of alert resulting from imminent danger)

   strip alert

   a state of readiness for domestic defense aircraft

   type of:

   state

   the way something is with respect to its main attributes
4. noun

   activity leading to skilled behavior
   synonyms: grooming, training

   types:

   athletic training

   the course of practice and exercise and diet undertaken by an athlete

   discipline

   training to improve strength or self-control

   drill

   (military) the training of soldiers to march (as in ceremonial parades) or to perform the manual of arms

   drill, exercise, practice, practice session, recitation

   systematic training by multiple repetitions

   military training

   training soldiers in military procedures

   retraining

   training for a new occupation

   schooling

   the training of an animal (especially the training of a horse for dressage)

   skull practice, skull session

   teaching strategy to an athletic team

   toilet training

   training a young child to use the toilet

   fartlek

   a workout method, especially for runners, where easier activity is alternated with intense activity

   fire drill

   an exercise intended to train people in duties and escape procedures to be followed in case of fire

   manual, manual of arms

   (military) a prescribed drill in handling a rifle

   basic training

   the initial period of training for new military personnel; involves intense physical activity and behavioral discipline

   military drill

   training in marching and the use of weapons

   rehearsal

   (psychology) a form of practice; repetition of information (silently or aloud) in order to keep it in short-term memory

   dry run, rehearsal

   a practice session in preparation for a public performance (as of a play or speech or concert)

   brushup, review

   practice intended to polish performance or refresh the memory

   scrimmage

   (American football) practice play between a football team's squads

   shadowboxing

   sparring with an imaginary opponent (for exercise or training)

   target practice

   practice in shooting at targets

   type of:

   activity

   any specific behavior
5. noun

   preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home)
   synonyms: homework, prep

   type of:

   school assignment, schoolwork

   a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher
6. noun

   a substance prepared according to a formula
   “the physician prescribed a commercial preparation of the medicine”

   synonyms: formulation

   types:

   cleaner, cleanser, cleansing agent

   a preparation used to remove dirt or unwanted substances

   glycerinated gelatin

   a gelatinous preparation made from gelatin and glycerin and water; used as a base for ointments and suppositories

   nebula

   a medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer

   polish

   a preparation used in polishing

   starch

   a commercial preparation of starch that is used to stiffen textile fabrics in laundering

   smelling salts

   a pungent preparation of ammonium carbonate and perfume; sniffed as a stimulant to relieve faintness

   bathroom cleaner

   a preparation for cleaning bathrooms

   dentifrice

   a substance for cleaning the teeth; applied with a toothbrush

   detergent

   a cleansing agent that differs from soap but can also emulsify oils and hold dirt in suspension

   shampoo

   cleansing agent consisting of soaps or detergents used for washing the hair

   soap

   a cleansing agent made from the salts of vegetable or animal fats

   blacking, shoe polish

   a substance used to produce a shiny protective surface on footwear

   Simoniz

   a brand of car polish

   type of:

   chemical compound, compound

   (chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight
7. noun

   the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
   “he left the preparation of meals to his wife”

   synonyms: cookery, cooking

   types:

   baking

   cooking by dry heat in an oven

   browning, toasting

   cooking to a brown crispiness over a fire or on a grill

   broil, broiling, grilling

   cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat (as over a fire or under a grill)

   frying, sauteing

   cooking in fat or oil in a pan or griddle

   fusion cooking

   cooking that combines ingredients and techniques and seasonings from different cuisines

   braising

   cooking slowly in fat in a closed pot with little moisture

   poaching

   cooking in simmering liquid

   roasting

   cooking (meat) by dry heat in an oven (usually with fat added)

   boiling, simmering, stewing

   cooking in a liquid that has been brought to a boil

   percolation

   the act of making coffee in a percolator

   cuisine, culinary art

   the practice or manner of preparing food or the food so prepared

   shirring

   baking shelled eggs

   barbecuing

   roasting a large piece of meat on a revolving spit out of doors over an open fire

   dim sum

   traditional Chinese cuisine; a variety of foods (including several kinds of steamed or fried dumplings) are served successively in small portions

   haute cuisine

   (French) an elaborate and skillful manner of preparing food

   nouvelle cuisine

   a school of French cooking that uses light sauces and tries to bring out the natural flavors of foods instead of making heavy use of butter and cream

   rechauffe

   warmed leftovers

   gastronomy

   a particular style of cookery (as of a region)

   type of:

   change of state

   the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics
8. noun

   (music) a note that produces a dissonant chord is first heard in a consonant chord
   “the resolution of one dissonance is often the preparation for another dissonance”

   antonyms:

   resolution

   (music) a dissonant chord is followed by a consonant chord

   type of:

   harmony, musical harmony

   the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords