- serving as an introduction; preliminary; prefatory
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•tro•duc•to•ry /ˌɪntrəˈdʌktəri/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Religionrelating to or providing general or basic information:an introductory course in English composition.
in•tro•duc•to•ry
(in′trə duk′tə rē),USA pronunciation adj.
in′tro•duc′to•ri•ly, adv.
in′tro•duc′to•ri•ness, n.
- serving or used to introduce;
preliminary;
beginning:an introductory course; an introductory paragraph.
- Late Latin intrōductōrius, equivalent. to Latin intrōduc-, variant stem of intrōdūcere (see introduce) + -tōrius -tory1
- Middle English 1350–1400
in′tro•duc′to•ri•ness, n.
- See preliminary.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
introductory /ˌɪntrəˈdʌktərɪ; -trɪ/ adj
'introductory' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
brochure
- elementary
- exordium
- foreword
- home page
- inducement
- inductive
- intro.
- isagogics
- preamble
- precursory
- preface
- prefatory
- preliminary
- preparatory
- primer
- prologue
- prolusion
- protasis
- wherefore
- why
- beginning
- continuity
- incipit
- induction
- initiative
- initiatory
- intr.
- intro
- isagogic
- OK
- 101
- overture
- prelude
- prelusive
- preparation
- proem
- prolegomenon
- prolegomenous
- propaedeutic
- reentrant
- training
- vorspiel
- whereas
- smattering
- survey course