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

Public safety costs for the preseason game were $199,424 — nearly $30,000 over the threshold, according to city documents. —Grace Hase, Sacramento Bee, 11 June 2024

The Heat also played a total of five preseason games this past season. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 June 2024

Reid also attempted two kickoffs for the Houston Texans during preseason games in 2021. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2024

Some will be answered in training camp and preseason. —Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above