preseason

noun

pre·​sea·​son ˌprē-ˈsē-zᵊn How to pronounce preseason (audio)
ˈprē-ˌsē-zᵊn
plural preseasons
: a period of time immediately preceding a season
tourists who visit during the preseason
especially : a training period preceding a sport's regular season in which teams compete in unofficial games
The preseason starts in two weeks.
performed well in (the) preseason
Quarterback John Friesz was lost for the year in the preseason to knee surgery. Paul Zimmerman
Dennis Rodman's mysterious boycott finally ended on Monday when he arrived for practice for the first time since the start of preseason. Jack McCallum
preseason adjective
preseason football
preseason training
the preseason opener/finale
preseason rankings/polls
the preseason favorite

Examples of preseason in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Clark will play her first preseason game with the Fever on May 3 against the Dallas Wings. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024 Caitlin Clark won't make her WNBA debut until May 3, when the Indiana Fever — which selected her as the first overall draft pick last week — play their first preseason game in Texas. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024 The Nuggets were about to fly to Phoenix for a preseason game. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2024 Their first preseason game is May 5 against the Seattle Storm in Los Angeles. Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 19 Apr. 2024 The rookie center hasn’t logged meaningful playing time against Sacramento since the first preseason game of the year, which hardly counts. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024 If and when Clark is picked, all focus will shift to the Fever's first preseason game, set for May 3, against the Dallas Wings in Arlington. David K. Li, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024 The Jayhawks, who went 23-11 this past season, are ranked No. 3 in ESPN.com’s first of the many preseason polls that will be released between now and KU’s opener in November. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024 Silas announced the team’s one home preseason game against the Oakland A’s a few weeks ago. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preseason.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preseason was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near preseason

Cite this Entry

“Preseason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preseason. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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