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

For Laine Johnson Crump, seeing the monarchs had been a lifelong dream after raising the butterflies and teaching her preschool classes in Minnesota about them for years. —Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 14 Mar. 2025

Unless your kid is an obvious freak of nature athlete, more than 30 seconds of a preschool soccer game is brutal to watch. —Denise Snodell, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025

Noun

Proceeds will benefit the preschool and support local nonprofits like Poway Life Choices pregnancy center. —Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025

Ally Sullivan, deputy press secretary for Polis in a statement to Newsweek pointed to Polis' efforts to help people save money, make housing affordable and create universal preschool preschool and kindergarten as to why people are moving to the state. —Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preschool

• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool
• guayule
• lobule
• misrule
• pustule
• whirlpool
• boule

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