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

The first half went about as well as any Miami fan could’ve hoped against a preseason top-three team. —Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Nov. 2025

While Texas has underperformed relative to preseason expectations, the team has good prospects of returning to the CFP in Manning's second season as a starter. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

The person who sat at the tail end of the visiting bench for Kon Knueppel’s pro debut in the preseason was back in the building, except this time watching on this side of the North Carolina border. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 15 Nov. 2025

Moody’s big game Moody was the team’s every-game starter at the wing in the second half of last season, but a preseason calf injury stunted his momentum going into this season. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preseason

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