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postseason

American  
[pohst-see-zuhn] / ˈpoʊstˌsi zən /

noun

  1. a period after the season, especially the period of time in organized sports when teams that did well during the regular season play each other for championship titles.

    Several universities with storied college football programs will be headed to bowl games this postseason.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or occurring in the postseason: Prepare for next year’s deer hunting with postseason scouting and observation.

    The postseason games are only available to people who pay for the league’s subscription TV service.

    Prepare for next year’s deer hunting with postseason scouting and observation.

postseason British  
/ pəʊstˈsiːzən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the period after the end of a regular sporting season

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the period after the end of a regular sporting season

    home run drought in the postseason

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of postseason

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; post- ( def. ) + season ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Clippers dropped to 6-8 all-time in the postseason against the Warriors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Lakers guard Luka Doncic will be eligible for postseason awards after the NBA and NBA Players Association announced Thursday they ruled in his favor on his extraordinary circumstances appeal of the 65-game rule.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The Sabres were so desperate that in 2024 they brought back Lindy Ruff, the coach who last led them to the postseason more than a decade earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

And, as if that wasn’t enough, its local Triple-A baseball team spent three years as an affiliate of the New York Mets—it never made the postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

“Doesn’t look like you guys will make it to the postseason, though,” Dad says.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King