preschool

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül How to pronounce preschool (audio)
(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 How to pronounce preschool (audio)
: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school

Examples of preschool in a Sentence

Noun children excited about starting preschool
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
Nationally, Head Start serves roughly 750,000 infants, toddlers and preschool-age children, providing not just childcare and early learning but also free meals, health screenings and family support. Cory Turner, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025 McGovern, 46, told Newsweek that Veronica was born during the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore never attended daycare, making the first week of preschool difficult. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Air Jordan 12 Retro Pearl Pink will come in grade school (style code 510815-600), preschool (style code 510816-600) and toddler sizing (style code 819666-600) with prices ranging from $75 to $150. Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025 Williams is survived by his wife of 20 years and their four children, who range from preschool to high school age, his in-laws wrote in GoFundMe. Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for preschool

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preschool was in 1914

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Cite this Entry

“Preschool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preschool. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

preschool

1 of 2 adjective
pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül How to pronounce preschool (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on preschool

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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