season

verb

seasoned; seasoning sē-zᵊn-iŋ 

ˈsēz-niŋˈ

transitive verb

1

a

: to give (food) more flavor or zest by adding seasoning

b

: to give a distinctive quality to as if by seasoning

especially : to make more agreeable

advice seasoned with wit

c

archaic : to qualify by admixture : temper

2

a

: to treat (something, such as wood or a skillet) so as to prepare for use

b

: to make fit by experience

a seasoned veteran

intransitive verb

: to become seasoned

Synonyms of season

• flavor
• spice

Examples of season in a Sentence

You must season the firewood.

the chef seasoned the vegetables as soon as they came out of the oven

Recent Examples on the Web

Arrange the onion, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles on separate plates, and season the tomatoes with sea salt and black pepper. —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 9 June 2026

When will season 3 of Your Friends & Neighbors be released? —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026

Read on to learn more about how to season pasta water like a pro, then stick around to discover the one thing many home cooks add to pasta water…but shouldn’t. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026

For Paish, this typically means seasoning with salt shortly before cooking and sprinkling finishing salt between slicing and serving. —Laura Manzano, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sesounen, back-formation from sesounde flavored, from Anglo-French seisoné brought to a desired state, from seison

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing season

• breeding season
• Christmas season
• cuffing season
• flu season
• growing season
• holiday season
• in season
• low season
• mating season
• mud season
• off-season
• open season
• out of season
• peak season
• season ticket
• season to taste
• silly season
• the holiday season
• tourist season

Rhymes for season

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

Kids Definition

season

1 of 2 noun

sea·​son ˈsēz-ᵊn 

1

a

: a suitable or natural time or occasion

a season for all things

b

: an indefinite period of time : while

willing to wait a season

2

a

: a period of the year associated with something in particular that happens every year

the baseball season

b

: a period marked by special activity especially in some field

tourist season

c

: a period in which a place is most often visited

d

: one of the four quarters into which the year is commonly divided compare autumn sense 1, spring, summer entry 1 sense 1, winter sense 1

e

: the time of a major holiday

3

: seasoning

4

: the schedule of official games played or to be played by a sports team during a playing season

got through the season undefeated

season

2 of 2 verb

seasoned; seasoning ˈsēz-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to make pleasant to the taste by adding seasoning

a seasoned stew

2

a

: to make or become suitable for use (as by drying)

season lumber

b

: to make fit by experience

a seasoned sailor

seasoner

ˈsēz-nər, 

-ᵊn-ər

noun