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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The timing couldn’t be better, with the offense about to be turned over to quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose preseason knee injury last year prevented him from playing as a rookie. Dave Campbell, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025 Currently, Clark is out of season but the Indiana Fever will kick things off with a preseason matchup against the Washington Mystics on May 3. Natasha Dye, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025 The game will take place July 31 at 5 p.m. PDT to open the NFL preseason. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025 Patrick also called play-by-play for Maryland football and basketball (1975-78) and NFL preseason games for Washington from 1975 to 1982. Zach Powell, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for preseason

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preseason was in 1914

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Cite this Entry

“Preseason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preseason. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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