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
Adjective
Your child’s preschool teachers are a great source of wisdom. Amy Dickinson, The Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2024 Friday, April 12 Preschool Hour: S is for Soil, 10 a.m. at Chain O'Lakes State Park: Visit the staff at the park’s Stanley Schoolhouse for part of its preschool series exploring life in the forest and how soil is one of Earth’s most important natural resources. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024 The center at 2400 E. First St. in the United Riverside neighborhood — among seven child care facilities expected to open by the end of 2025 — will include two outdoor learning areas: one for infants and toddlers and one for preschool ages, according to the foundation. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024 The Disney Junior show was the number one preschool series across linear and streaming platforms in 2023. Sari Hitchins, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024 In King’s book, the unexpected explosion of a preschool dropout with a knife would pay for itself in dividends. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024 The Lost City costars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum previously revealed that their daughters had preschool beef. EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024 Studies? — preschool teachers shape the future, and make all of that other work possible. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024 Planning to wed there are a couple from Memphis — Miriam Maxey, 34, a preschool teacher and yoga instructor, and Nick Demari, 39, a mobile app developer. Devorah Lev-Tov, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
By age four, I’d been expelled from preschool for peeling the paint off the walls after leading nap-time coups. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024 It was amended to only ban firearms at schools, from preschool to college, as well as polling places, the state legislature and local government buildings, though local governments could opt out. Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2024 California and New Mexico are working toward implementing universal preschool. The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2024 Four of their children attended the school, including Abell, who went there from preschool through sixth grade. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 26 Apr. 2024 Will states support an equitable mixed-delivery model for preschool incorporating both existing child care programs and public schools? Alexandra Frost, Parents, 23 Apr. 2024 Yet although transitional kindergarten is a statewide program, the details that often matter most to parents — the balance of play and academics and how the program differs from preschool — vary greatly by district. Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024 Mayor Eric Adams’s cuts to free preschool for 3-year-olds has parents like Megan Moskop-Toler and her husband, Cameron Toler, worried about the high-stakes competition for available places. Convictions in Jam Master Jay’s killing: Two men were convicted of murdering the Run-DMC D.J. James Barron, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 After 11 months of looking in Florida, Brockway was offered a job as an aide at a nearby preschool. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near preschool

Cite this Entry

“Preschool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preschool. Accessed 1 May. 2024.

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

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