preclinical

adjective

pre·​clin·​i·​cal (ˌ)prē-ˈkli-ni-kəl How to pronounce preclinical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or concerned with the period preceding clinical manifestations
2
: of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry
3
: occurring prior to clinical testing
a preclinical animal study of a new therapy

Examples of preclinical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The next steps are to continue with preclinical trials to ensure the implant is safe and effective. — Paul McClure 23, New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025 Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of tigilanol tiglate analogs as latency-reversing agents for the eradication of HIV World Health Organization. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025 May Have Anticancer Effects Some initial preclinical studies (conducted on animals) have shown promise for curcumin's anticancer effects. — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 10 Feb. 2025 The group of experts recommends using two levels of obesity: preclinical and clinical. — Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for preclinical

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preclinical was in 1876

Rhymes for preclinical

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preclinical
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Cite this Entry

“Preclinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preclinical. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

preclinical

adjective
pre·​clin·​i·​cal (ˈ)prē-ˈklin-i-kəl How to pronounce preclinical (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, concerned with, or being the period preceding clinical manifestations
the preclinical stage of diabetes mellitus
b
: occurring prior to a clinical trial
preclinical animal testing to assess a drug's safety
2
: of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry
the preclinical years
specifically : of or relating to the early period of prescribed medical or dental study devoted to the basic sciences (as anatomy, physiology, and pathology)
preclinical studies
3
: of, relating to, or being a science basic to medicine
research in the preclinical sciences
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