preschool

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül 

(ˌ)prē-ˈskül

: of, relating to, or constituting the period in a child's life that ordinarily precedes attendance at elementary school

preschool

2 of 2

noun

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül 

: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school

Synonyms of preschool

Noun

• nursery

Examples of preschool in a Sentence

Noun

children excited about starting preschool

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There’s also tax relief for taxpayers who pay for child care — day care, a nanny, preschool or summer camp. —Sarah Moreno february 6, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026

Many early childhood education experts rely on the National Institute for Early Education Research’s 10 quality benchmarks to make broad assessments in all states that offer public preschool programs. —Makiya Seminera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026

Noun

The violence began when a 33-year-old woman in a hijab — a religious head scarf often worn by Muslim women — was kicked by the stranger outside a preschool on Fifth Ave. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026

The museum and its preschool vacated the site and settled temporarily in a building on the Emanuel Synagogue property on Mohegan Drive. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preschool

• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool
• guayule
• lobule
• misrule
• pustule
• whirlpool
• boule

Kids Definition

preschool

1 of 2 adjective

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül 

: of, relating to, or being the period in a child's life to the age of five or six that ordinarily precedes attendance at school

preschool

2 of 2 noun

: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school