preliminary choices

USAGE SUMMARY

"preliminary choices" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to initial selections or options that are made before final decisions. Example: "After reviewing the data, we made our preliminary choices for the project." Alternative expressions include "initial selections" and "tentative options."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

In order to reduce as much as possible the role of preliminary choices, a method based on artificial neural networks (ANN) is proposed.

Soils and Foundations

These are my preliminary choices.

Huffington Post

In our data, motor plans were typically formed quickly, corresponding to preliminary choices.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"And where will you be buried?" "I've made a preliminary choice," Solzhenitsyn said.

The New Yorker

In Le Monde, Noémie Luciani regrets the heroine's lack of ambiguity and of ambivalence: "The great fault of her cause is to have imposed herself on her own: no preliminary choice, no temptation to lose herself or to betray herself".

The New Yorker

One important conclusion is that the numerical procedure is extremely powerful for the preliminary choice of the hull form.

Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures Proceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures 16 – 21 September 2001 Shanghai, Chaina

A set of Monte Carlo simulation was used to design the neutron collimator, to determine the preliminary choice of the materials to be employed in the collimator design.

Applied Radiation and Isotopes

This involved face-to-face completion of the survey by an adult convenience sample (n=20), with qualitative exploration of understanding of the instrument along with estimation of a preliminary choice model.

BMJ Open

Within this context, we are developing a framework to evaluate the effect of preliminary design choices on the survivability and on the demisability of a spacecraft configuration.

Journal of Space Safety Engineering

To assess the optimal proportion of menthol to be used in our tests, we performed preliminary multiple-choice tests using a range of menthol containing food, and measured the number of eggs laid on each type of food.

Biology Open

There is no evidence that these ethnic disadvantages are a result of preliminary qualifications, the choice of subject and study type, or of a low socio-economic position of immigrant parents.

IZA Journal of Migration

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with verbs like "identify", "evaluate" or "refine" to demonstrate a rigorous methodological approach

Common error

Avoid using "preliminary choices" if the decision is legally or practically binding, as the adjective 'preliminary' explicitly communicates that the choices are not yet conclusive

Linguistic Context

This phrase serves as a plural noun phrase consisting of the adjective 'preliminary' and the noun 'choices'. It functions as a direct object or the head of a prepositional phrase in complex sentences. In Ludwig AI examples, it often appears as the subject of evaluation or the result of a first-stage process.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

68%

News & Media

22%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Social Media

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "preliminary choices" is a highly versatile and correct English expression used across a wide spectrum of formal writing. Ludwig AI data indicates its prominence in scientific literature for describing initial model parameters and in news media for reporting on developing appointments. The core value of this phrase lies in its ability to denote a selection that is not yet permanent, providing a safe linguistic space for revision and further analysis. Whether you are discussing architectural choices in engineering or specialty choices in medical education, this phrase remains a precise and professional way to indicate that the decision-making process is in its early stages.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initial selections

Focuses more on the act of selecting from a broader pool at the very beginning

tentative options

Emphasizes that the choices are uncertain and likely to change

provisional preferences

Suggests a personal or institutional bias that is not yet set in stone

early decisions

A more general term for any conclusion reached in the opening phases of a project

interim choices

Refers to choices made to serve a purpose temporarily before a final selection

draft selections

Common in creative or administrative contexts where a 'draft' implies future revision

first-round picks

Often used in competitive or sports contexts to denote initial filtering

preliminary findings

Shifts the focus from a 'choice' to a 'result' of research or analysis

base assumptions

Refers to the underlying logic that often dictates those first choices

opening gambits

More idiomatic, suggesting a strategic move rather than a simple selection

FAQs

How do I use "preliminary choices" in a research paper?

In research, you can use it to describe initial parameters or model selections. For example: "The study proposed a method based on ANN to reduce the role of "preliminary choices" in data formulation".

What is the difference between "preliminary choices" and "final choices"?

The main difference is finality. "preliminary choices" are tentative and part of an ongoing process, while "final choices" are the definitive results that will be implemented or published.

Can I say "initial selections" instead of "preliminary choices"?

Yes, "initial selections" is a very close synonym and can be used interchangeably in most contexts, though "preliminary choices" often sounds slightly more formal or academic.

Is "preliminary choices" commonly used in news media?

Yes, major publications like "The New York Times" and "The New Yorker" frequently use it when reporting on appointments, artistic selections or political developments.