Preparation is the work you do to get ready for something before it happens. When you study your spelling words before a test, pack your bag the night before a field trip, or practice your speech before presenting it to the class, you're doing preparation.

Good preparation means thinking ahead about what you'll need and what might go wrong. A chef does preparation by chopping vegetables and measuring ingredients before cooking begins. An athlete prepares for a game by training, stretching, and learning the opponent's strategies. A musician prepares for a concert by practicing difficult passages over and over.

Preparation happens before the main event. You can't prepare for something while it's already happening.

Preparation often separates success from failure. Two students might be equally smart, but the one who does thorough preparation usually performs better. The same goes for everything from baking a cake to building a treehouse. When something goes smoothly, it's usually because someone did careful preparation that nobody else noticed.

People sometimes use prep as a shorter, informal version: “I need to prep for tomorrow's presentation.” A preparatory school (often called a prep school) is designed to prepare students for college.