presell

verb

pre·​sell (ˌ)prē-ˈsel How to pronounce presell (audio)
presold (ˌ)prē-ˈsōld How to pronounce presell (audio) ; preselling

transitive verb

1
: to precondition (someone, such as a customer) for subsequent purchase or create advance demand for (something, such as a product) especially through marketing strategies
2
: to sell in advance
raised money to publish the book by preselling film rights

Examples of presell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thanks to an unusual film-financing structure, the studio presells international distribution rights and pre-arranges global P&A to the point where close to half of its movies’ negative costs are already recouped before a single frame is illuminated inside a theater. Chris Lee, Vulture, 23 June 2023 To deliver on that pledge, Evergrande needed either to presell new properties in order to raise enough money to keep operating — or to find other sources of cash. New York Times, 9 Dec. 2021 To mitigate meeting friction, the leader made sure to presell his ideas before the meeting so that there wouldn't be as much pressure to sell an idea in the meeting. Anne Sugar, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2021 During the coronavirus shutdown, Noraebar is preselling private room rentals at a discount. Dahlia Ghabour, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020 Caldwell Companies is currently preselling Creekstone Office Condos office spaces starting in the $300,000s. Chevall Pryce, Houston Chronicle, 25 Feb. 2020 In addition to the developer’s unsold inventory, roughly 20 resale units are also on the market. Miami developers typically aim to presell 85-90% of their units before closings begin, said Peter Zalewski of Condo Vultures. Candace Taylor, WSJ, 16 Jan. 2020 First America Homes, the home building division of the Signorelli Company, has expanded its affordable new home program and is currently preselling in Towne Park, a new home community in Northeast Houston. Houston Chronicle, 14 Sep. 2019 The Better Place team is this month opening a forest in Point Arena, a bit south of Mendocino; preselling trees at a second California location, in Santa Cruz; and developing four more spots around the country. Nellie Bowles, New York Times, 12 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of presell was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near presell

Cite this Entry

“Presell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presell. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

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