The meaning of PREPARATION is the action or process of making something ready for use or service or of getting ready for some occasion, test, or duty. How to use preparation in a sentence.

Definition of preparation noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

(Definition of preparation from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Preparation is the process of getting something ready for use or for a particular purpose, or making arrangements for something. Rub the surface of the wood in preparation for the varnish. Few things …

The phrase may have derived from the loose-fitting clothes of ancient people, which needed to be tucked in or “girdled,” usually about the loins, in preparation for work.

prep•a•ra•tion (prep′ə rā′ shən), n. a proceeding, measure, or provision by which one prepares for something: preparations for a journey. any proceeding, experience, or the like considered as a mode …

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

There are 13 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun preparation, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

PREPARATION definition: a proceeding, measure, or provision by which one prepares for something. See examples of preparation used in a sentence.

Dec 13, 2025 · preparation (countable and uncountable, plural preparations) (uncountable) The act of preparing or getting ready.