Sentence:  At the outset , the Government 's spokesman explained that counsel for the Government and for du Pont had already held <WSD>preliminary</WSD> discussions with a view to arriving at a relief plan that both sides could recommend to the court . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important; designed to orient or acquaint with a situation before proceeding