What's the difference between definitive and preliminary?

Definitive


Definition:

  • (a.) Determinate; positive; final; conclusive; unconditional; express.
  • (a.) Limiting; determining; as, a definitive word.
  • (a.) Determined; resolved.
  • (n.) A word used to define or limit the extent of the signification of a common noun, such as the definite article, and some pronouns.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Consensual but rationally weak criteria devised to extract inferences of causality from such results confirm the generic inadequacy of epidemiology in this area, and are unable to provide definitive scientific support to the perceived mandate for public health action.
  • (2) A definite relationship between intelligence level and the type of muscle disease was found.
  • (3) Definitive neurological deficits occurred in 0.09%, transient deficits were observed in 0.45%.
  • (4) Photograph: Guardian The research also compiled data covered by a wider definition of tax haven, including onshore jurisdictions such as the US state of Delaware – accused by the Cayman islands of playing "faster and looser" even than offshore jurisdictions – and the Republic of Ireland, which has come under sustained pressure from other EU states to reform its own low-tax, light-tough, regulatory environment.
  • (5) This observation not only provides definitive evidence for the photogeneration of O2-, but also indicates that only a fraction of this species is transformed into H2O2 in the absence of SOD.
  • (6) Definite tumor regression, improvement of some clinical symptoms, and continuous remission over 6 mo or more were observed in six, nine, and three patients, respectively.
  • (7) These findings lead to a definite diagnosis of chronic hypervitaminosis A.
  • (8) Currently there are no IOC approved definitive tests for these hormones but highly specific immunoassays combined with suitable purification techniques may be sufficient to warrant IOC approval.
  • (9) In the process, the DfE's definition of extremism has shifted from actual bomb-throwers to religious conservatives.
  • (10) This new way of thinking is reflected in the 1992 AAMR definition of what mental retardation is (Luckasson et al., 1992).
  • (11) Cholecystectomy provided successful treatment in three of the four patients but the fourth was too ill to undergo an operation; in general, definitive treatment is cholecystectomy, together with excision of the fistulous tract if this takes a direct path through the abdominal wall from the gallbladder, or curettage if the course is devious.
  • (12) Problem definition, the first step in policy development, includes identifying the issues, discussing and framing the issues, analyzing data and resources, and deciding on a problem definition.
  • (13) The value of benefit-risk, benefit-cost, and cost-effectiveness analyses lies not in providing the definitive basis for a decision on vaccine use or evaluation.
  • (14) In addition, a new dosage concepts has been introduced on the basis of the effective dose on the lines of the recommendations by the IRCP; as a result, the definitions of radiation protection areas and of dosage limit values had to be revised and reworded.
  • (15) The instrument is a definite aid to the surgeon, and does not penalize the time required for surgery.
  • (16) Bone age has been analyzed mixed-longitudinally in a subsample of 370 patients (660 observations) and showed a slight retardation at all ages between 6 and 13 yr. Development of pubic hair of 91 subjects analyzed cross-sectionally was definitely retarded when compared to adequate reference data.
  • (17) The patient was a forty-five-year-old female who had been troubled by obstinate Raynaud's phenomenon for ten years before the definite diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension was made.
  • (18) However, there is no definitive report showing that FGF exists in the thyroid.
  • (19) Four of 18 patients showed no change over the twenty-four hours while 7 patients showed some variation without definite diurnal pattern.
  • (20) No histological changes in the intestines were observed in the fasted poults whereas definite lesions were observed in the BCDCV-inoculated poults.

Preliminary


Definition:

  • (a.) Introductory; previous; preceding the main discourse or business; prefatory; as, preliminary observations to a discourse or book; preliminary articles to a treaty; preliminary measures; preliminary examinations.
  • (n.) That which precedes the main discourse, work, design, or business; something introductory or preparatory; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or duel; to take one's preliminaries the year before entering college.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Results obtained from animal experiments have been confirmed by preliminary clinical investigations.
  • (2) Preliminary data also suggest that high-molecular-weight rearrangements of the duplicated region are present in all tissues.
  • (3) For consistent identification of the normal pancreas, preliminary longitudinal scanning at, or near, the mid-line and subsequent oblique scanning in the long axis are necessary prerequisites in delineating the anatomic outline of the pancreas.
  • (4) Preliminary rhythmic somatic stimulation has a predominantly facilitating effect on EPs appearing in response to tonal stimuli in the areas A1, S2, S1.
  • (5) Results of this study provide preliminary evidence that tracheal adherence and HA of B avium are closely related.
  • (6) These preliminary experiments suggest that oSm is similar to IGF-I in its binding characteristics and that primary cultures of skeletal muscle satellite cells possess type I and type II IGF receptors.
  • (7) Preliminary studies of different systems suggest several of them may have sensitivity to detect intraepithelial abnormalities in excess of 95%.
  • (8) This preliminary study compared the level of ego development, as measured by Loevinger's Washington University Sentence Completion Test (SCT), of 30 women with histories of childhood sexual victimization, and 30 women with no history of abuse.
  • (9) Our preliminary data from this study suggest that 85% trichloroacetic acid is effective treatment of human papillomavirus infection of the cervix without dysplasia.
  • (10) We present in this preliminary report the early results of therapy for refractory leukemia with an intensive preparative regimen for bone marrow transplantation including etoposide, cytosine arabinoside, cyclophosphamide, and fractionated total body irradiation.
  • (11) This preliminary study estimates the occurrence of concurrent helminth infection in Africa and Brazil to determine whether such an approach is justified epidemiologically.
  • (12) Preliminary hearing results of 45 cases show air-bone gap closure of 67% within 10 dB and 98% within 20 dB.
  • (13) Results in this preliminary study demonstrate the need to evaluate the hazard of microbial aerosols generated by sewage treatment plants similar to the one studied.
  • (14) These preliminary results suggest that IGIV may be more beneficial and less expensive than plasmapheresis in treatment of GBS.
  • (15) The preliminary one-time administration of DSIP to animals subjected to a stressor influence also increases the SP content in the hypothalamus.
  • (16) The resultant scales were administered to a small sample for preliminary empirical testing.
  • (17) A preliminary study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of therapeutic patient groups in a rehabilitation setting.
  • (18) To test this hypothesis 30 Wistar rats were subjected to laparotomy and colonic resection and treated with 5-Fluorouracil or Mitomycin C. The bursting strength of the abdominal scars and the colonic anastomotic bursting pressure revealed some interference in the rats treated with 5-Fluorouracil (Student's t test P less than 0.05) but none in the case of Mitomycin C. This preliminary study deserves to be followed up.
  • (19) A preliminary "profile" of the patient with low back pain who would likely benefit from manual therapy included acute symptom onset with less than a 1-month duration of symptoms, central or paravertebral pain distribution, no previous exposure to spinal manipulation, and no pending litigation or workers' compensation.
  • (20) Preliminary studies suggested that inhibition of aggregation was not attributable to inhibition of prostanoid synthesis or to raised levels of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate.