preliminary date

USAGE SUMMARY

"preliminary date" is a correctly formed and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to refer to a date that is still subject to change or confirmation. For example, "We proposed October 15th as a preliminary date for the meeting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

WALL STREET JOURNAL   Timeline for Facebook's I.P.O.?  |  The company's management and bankers are said to be considering a preliminary date of either May 16 or 17 to price the I.P.O., CNBC reports, citing an unidentified person familiar with the matter.

The New York Times

In an apparent rejection of the terms of the "special status" law offered by the Kiev parliament, the leaders of the self-declared people's republics of Luhansk and Donetsk said on Tuesday that they would set a preliminary date five weeks earlier, on 2 November.

BBC

Alternative Press published a preliminary date of October 10, 2006, as the album's release date, this was later corrected on the band's official website, when it was announced that the new album would be released on November 21, 2006 in North America, and the day before in Europe.

Wikipedia

A preliminary date for 1 May was set for the operation once all of the required airborne and air-landed infantry divisions had been located and supplied, but it was ultimately cancelled on 26 March due to the rapid movement of Allied ground forces negating the need for the operation.

Wikipedia

Thus, the preliminary date of ovulation was determined (cycle duration minus 14 days) and, according to this, menstrual cycle was divided into two parts, follicular and luteal.

BioMed Research International

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

On the basis of the lamina counting assuming that the top of the core formed in 2012, we estimated the age of each lamina and cumulated preliminary dating error of each lamina in the SG12-LM3 core.

Progress in Earth and Planetary Science

Other specific parameters were set as follows: rttm and rttmsd set to 1.36, rtrate and rtratesd to 0.04, brownmean and brownsd to 0.7, according to preliminary dating analysis.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

However, during earlier stages of that study, preliminary dating analyses were performed for each of the two different rooting scenarios, using a dirichlet probability prior (DPP) model and including oldest fossils as minimum age constraints for the hypothetical most-recent common ancestors of extant taxa (Additional file 3).

BMC Evolutionary Biology

This hypothesis is consistent with the low level of genetic variation observed in nuclear sequences and the low resolution in the mtDNA topology, as well as with a preliminary dating of the Oreina genus, in which the origin of Oreina speciosissima is estimated at circa 0.4 million years ago [ 36].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

NASA has set a preliminary launch date for 2015 and U.S. federal budget documents confirm that a launch date is expected "no earlier" than 2015.

Wikipedia

No preliminary hearing date has been set.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "preliminary date", always indicate the possibility of changes or updates to avoid confusion. For example, follow with phrases like "subject to change" or "as of now".

Common error

Avoid treating a "preliminary date" as a fixed commitment. Always confirm the date closer to the event to ensure accuracy and prevent miscommunication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "preliminary date" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "preliminary" modifies the noun "date". It indicates a tentative or proposed timeframe for an event or activity, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

32%

Wiki

19%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "preliminary date" is used to denote a date that is tentative and subject to change. It's commonly found in contexts such as news, scientific articles, and wikis, reflecting its broad applicability. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and well-established in English. When using "preliminary date", it's crucial to communicate the possibility of adjustments to avoid misunderstandings. Consider alternative phrases like "tentative date" or "provisional date" to convey a similar meaning with slight variations in nuance. Always confirm the date as the event draws near to ensure accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

tentative date

Replaces "preliminary" with "tentative", suggesting a date that is subject to change.

provisional date

Uses "provisional" instead of "preliminary", implying a date that is arranged for the time being.

estimated date

Replaces "preliminary" with "estimated", indicating a date based on calculations but not certain.

projected date

Uses "projected" instead of "preliminary", suggesting a date forecasted for the future.

initial date

Substitutes "preliminary" with "initial", referring to the first proposed date.

target date

Replaces "preliminary" with "target", indicating a desired or intended date.

planned date

Suggests a date that is part of a plan but not yet confirmed, replacing "preliminary" with "planned".

suggested date

Uses "suggested" to show the date is more of a proposal, rather than fixed, replacing "preliminary" with "suggested".

first date

Implies that it's the first proposed date, which may be subject to change.

original date

Suggests a starting date that could be modified later.

FAQs

What does "preliminary date" mean?

A "preliminary date" indicates a proposed or tentative date that is subject to change or confirmation. It's not a final or guaranteed date.

What can I say instead of "preliminary date"?

You can use alternatives like "tentative date", "provisional date", or "estimated date" depending on the context.

How to use "preliminary date" in a sentence?

Example: "The "preliminary date" for the conference is set for November, but this might change depending on venue availability."

What's the difference between "preliminary date" and "confirmed date"?

"Preliminary date" suggests a date that is not yet final, while "confirmed date" indicates a date that has been officially set and is unlikely to change.