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

Most football teams are playing preseason games the next two weeks. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026

His smiley story of slapping a $5 bill on Jalen Carter’s chest after the defensive tackle’s contract extension contributes to a preseason energy that feels a lot like when Hurts and Nick Sirianni rode out of practice together on a golf cart in 2024. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Hamza impressed during a preseason match against Birmingham, scoring two crucial goals. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Day three of Chiefs training camp opened under dour skies and temperate conditions that belied the typical July weather associated with preseason practices in northern Missouri. — Pete Grathoff july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for preseason

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