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

As a former preschool teacher, this was right in my wheelhouse, too. —Allison Tibaldi, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024

Of these incidents, 573 occurred on the grounds of a preschool, elementary, middle or high school, resulting in 188 deaths and 392 people wounded and nearly half (at least 46 percent) of the victims in these incidents were students. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

Yet too many colleges seem devoted, not to shepherding undergrads into full-fledged adulthood, but to transporting them back to preschool. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

Paramedics were called to the preschool and treated the affected children. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 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