presale

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​sale ˌprē-ˈsāl How to pronounce presale (audio)
variants or pre-sale
1
: done, existing, or occurring before a sale
a presale party/tour/exhibition
presale expectations
a presale disclosure
Sotheby's pre-sale estimate was $12,000-15,000, but early bidding indicated that the final sales price would go far higher.R. O. Blechman
2
: of, relating to, being, or involving a presale
She paid $30 to join the … fan club, which gives members access to presale tickets.Marco R. della Cava
presale orders for the book
bought a presale condo

presale

2 of 2

noun

variants or pre-sale
plural presales or pre-sales
: the sale of something before it is completed or available
… the first run of books is nearly sold out in presale on Amazon.Brooke Edwards
As stated earlier, a presale is literally a sale of your film to a particular territory before the film is made.Stacey Parks
… said most developers would now need a large number of presales to get bank backing.Susan Edmunds
Tickets go on sale to the general public May 14. Select presales begin May 7.Andrew Gans
Sources have told The Wall Street Journal that Apple has "sold hundreds of thousands" of iPads since the device went on presale March 12.Erica Ogg

Examples of presale 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.
Adjective
The Florida Man Games returns on Feb. 21, 2026, and has presale tickets now on sale — $40 for general admission, $120 for VIP and $100-$150 for a camping pass. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025 Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 14 at 10 a.m. local time, but fans subscribed to Michele’s newsletter will have a chance to scoop early presale tickets on Wednesday, March 12 at 10 a.m. local time. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
Live Nation, Ticketmaster and Caesars Rewards fans can access a presale that launches Saturday, Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025 Verizon, meanwhile, is sponsoring a presale as well that will start on Aug. 7. Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for presale

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of presale was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Presale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presale. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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