prekindergarten

noun

pre·​kin·​der·​gar·​ten (ˈ)prē-ˈkin-dər-ˌgär-tᵊn How to pronounce prekindergarten (audio)
-ˈkin-də-,
-dᵊn
often attributive
1
2
: a class or program preceding kindergarten for children usually from three to four years old

Examples of prekindergarten in a Sentence

a single father with two children in prekindergarten
Recent Examples on the Web Today, prekindergarten for 4-year-olds remains universal. Troy Closson, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 For nearly a decade, every 4-year-old in New York has been eligible for a free prekindergarten seat — and 3-year-olds were set to be next in line. Troy Closson, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 As the pandemic raged on, D.C. public schools saw the most dramatic decreases in the prekindergarten years. Lauren Lumpkin, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023 Rogers estimated the prekindergarten expansion will call for 36 classroom teachers, 11 special area teachers, 99 paraeducators and 86 assistants. Lilly Price, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2024 Chris Burks, a parent, was among those advocating for additional prekindergarten seats, closing some campuses and revitalizing middle school staffing. Cynthia Howell, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2023 School board member Steve Whisler said Blueprint’s prekindergarten requirement is among his concerns. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024 Raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers could help fund public services like free prekindergarten and housing subsidies that could help reduce those burdens — with little impact on the city’s millionaires, Mr. Gusdorf said. Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2023 That has not prevented the mayor from cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from the city’s popular prekindergarten program for 3-year-olds. Eliza Shapiro, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prekindergarten.' 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

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prekindergarten was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near prekindergarten

Cite this Entry

“Prekindergarten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prekindergarten. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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