preseason

noun

pre·​sea·​son ˌprē-ˈsē-zᵊn 

ˈprē-ˌsē-zᵊn

plural preseasons

: a period of time immediately preceding a season

tourists who visit during the preseason

especially : a training period preceding a sport's regular season in which teams compete in unofficial games

The preseason starts in two weeks.

performed well in (the) preseason

Quarterback John Friesz was lost for the year in the preseason to knee surgery.

—Paul Zimmerman

Dennis Rodman's mysterious boycott finally ended on Monday when he arrived for practice for the first time since the start of preseason.

—Jack McCallum

preseason adjective

preseason football

preseason training

the preseason opener/finale

preseason rankings/polls

the preseason favorite

Examples of preseason in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This means Florida will almost certainly enter the 2026-27 season as the preseason number one team in the country when October rolls around. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Ryan Watts, Defensive Back, Sixth Round, Pick 195 The Steelers released Ryan Watts in April 2025 after a season-ending neck injury suffered in a preseason game. —Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026

Johnson and Mazzulla both led teams that widely exceeded most preseason expectations. —Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

Porter Connors was a preseason All-American linebacker last season. —Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preseason

• milesian
• partizan
• postseason
• unreason
• reason
• season
• seizin
• treason