preschool

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül 

(ˌ)prē-ˈskül

: of, relating to, or constituting the period in a child's life that ordinarily precedes attendance at elementary school

preschool

2 of 2

noun

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül 

: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school

Synonyms

Noun

• crèche
• day nursery
• nursery
• nursery school
• pre-K
• prekindergarten

Examples of preschool in a Sentence

Noun

children excited about starting preschool

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Preschools Near Me Preschools Near Me is an AI platform designed to simplify the preschool search and application process for parents. —William Jones, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

Between 2021 and 2023, the number of children in preschool education dropped almost 15% to just under 41 million. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024

Noun

The school then issued an English-only policy A Fontana preschool that implemented an English-only policy for its employees agreed to a $200,000 settlement with California after a teacher’s aide claimed management retaliated against her for speaking Spanish. —Alex Rivera, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

Reading to them isn't just fun, but a great way to prepare them for preschool. —Alex Vance, Parents, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

preschool

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül 

: of, relating to, or being the period in a child's life to the age of five or six that ordinarily precedes attendance at school

preschool

2 of 2 noun

: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school