What does prep mean?
Prep is a concise, informal word for preparation. As a noun, it can refer to the work or materials used to get ready for an event, examination, performance, or other activity, as in “final prep.” It may also denote a preparatory course, phase, or program, especially in education. As a verb, prep means to prepare or get ready, and it is often transitive: “The coach prepped the team for the match.” The adjective prep means preparatory or intended for preparation, commonly appearing in phrases such as “prep course.” Because prep is a shortened form of preparation, it often has a practical, conversational tone rather than the formal or bureaucratic feel of the full word. It is useful in everyday English whenever the idea is not preparation as an abstract process, but the concrete work of getting ready for something.
Preparation, especially preliminary work or a preparatory course or phase.
"The exam is tomorrow, so I need to do some final prep."
Informal; common in educational, workplace, sports, and event-related contexts.
To prepare or get ready for something.
"The students prepped for the test by reviewing the key readings."
Usually transitive and informal; the inflected forms are prepped and prepping in standard usage.
Preparatory or intended to help someone prepare.
"She took a prep course before applying to university."
Less common as a standalone adjective and often found in combinations such as prep course, prep program, and prep school.
The plural is used when referring to multiple separate preparation sessions, courses, or arrangements.
"The candidates attended two preps before the interview."
The word “prep” has a remarkably short route into modern English: it is simply preparation with the ending cut off, turning a formal process into an everyday shorthand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prep come from?
The noun prep is an informal shortening of preparation, which comes through Old French from Latin praeparatio, a noun formed from praeparare, “to prepare.” The verb prep is likewise a shortened form of prepare, ultimately from Latin prae-, meaning “before,” and parare, meaning “to arrange” or “set in order.” The abbreviated form became established in the late 19th century, especially in educational and preparatory contexts.
Related word forms
How prep is actually used
Prep is informal and especially common in American English, though it is also understood in British English. It is common in educational, workplace, sports, and event-related contexts. As an adjective, it is less frequent and is often used in combinations such as “prep course” and “prep program.”
Easily confused with prep
Prep is an informal abbreviation for preparation or a preparatory stage, whereas a preposition is a word such as “in,” “on,” or “with” that shows the relationship between other words in a sentence.