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

Score: 1-2 Neighbours signs an 8-year extension My preseason bold predictions were published on Sept. 24 and Oct. 22. —Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Nationally, quarterbacks like Texas’ Arch Manning and Penn State’s Drew Allar generating much of the preseason buzz, but that doesn’t mean the Big 12’s quarterbacks should be overlooked. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2025

Veteran players usually get most of their preseason and training camp work during joint practices, not preseason games or training camp practices. —Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025

And his selection was met with immediate enthusiasm by Sky players, who praised Marsh for his energy and rigorous attention to detail throughout the preseason. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preseason

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