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

But Kalkbrenner’s summer league performance paired with his preseason outings and holding his own in team practices behind closed doors likely changed all that. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025

Currently sidelined with a back injury, the guard did not play in the preseason and is expected to make his debut on the team’s G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, WTHR reported. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

Spoelstra has since been selected in the league’s annual preseason survey of general managers as the best head coach in the NBA for each of the last six years and was recently named the new head coach of the Team USA men’s national team through 2028. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025

Two-way guard Chris Manon fully participated in practice on Sunday after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain during camp that sidelined him for preseason play. —Khobi Price, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preseason

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