1. The act of planning, studying, training, or getting ready for something: In preparation for the play, Susan had to learn all of her lines by memory.
2. The activity of getting something ready by using heat: Preparation for dinner took quite a while because the casserole had to bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until it was ready to eat.
3. A substance made by following a formula: The face cream was a preparation or mixture especially made for sensitive skins.
4. In music, a note that creates a dissonant chord is first perceived in a consonant chord: Joan learned in her music class that a preparation involved the introduction of dissonance by presenting the dissonant tone as a consonant one in the prior chord.