preseason

noun

pre·​sea·​son ˌprē-ˈsē-zᵊn 

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

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images Ahead of training camp and preseason action, LaFleur has received major disrespect. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Avs reveal preseason schedule: The Avs announced their preseason schedule on Friday afternoon, with the six-game set including two games apiece against Western Conference rivals Dallas, Utah and Vegas. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 June 2025

To the frustration of many fans, the former UConn guard—the 30th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft—was cut after two preseason games, showing the conundrum that current roster limits create for player development. —Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025

The full preseason schedule will be announced at a later date. —Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preseason

• milesian
• partizan
• postseason
• unreason
• reason
• season
• seizin
• treason