propaedeutic

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   preparatory or introductory to a more advanced field of study

   The course was intended as propaedeutic training for later work in philosophy.

2. 2
   noun

   a preliminary course, subject, or body of instruction

   Traditional logic was defended as a useful propaedeutic for disciplined reasoning.

From German propadeutisch and French propedeutique, ultimately from Ancient Greek propaideuein ("to teach beforehand"), built from pro- ("before") + paideuein ("to educate").

Topics