1. Before the onset of disease. 2. A period in medical education before the student becomes involved with patients and clinical work.
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pre·clin·i·cal (')prē-'klin-i-kəl adj
1 a) of, relating to, concerned with, or being the period preceding clinical manifestations <the \preclinical stage of diabetes mellitus>
b) occurring prior to a clinical trial <\preclinical animal testing to assess a drug's safety>
2) of, relating to, or being the period in medical or dental education preceding the clinical study of medicine or dentistry <the \preclinical years> specif of or relating to the early period of prescribed medical or dental study devoted to the basic sciences (as anatomy, physiology, and pathology) <\preclinical studies>
3) of, relating to, or being a science basic to medicine <research in the \preclinical sciences>
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pre·clin·i·cal (pre-klinґĭ-kəl) before a disease becomes clinically recognizable.Medical dictionary. 2011.