pre-K

American  

[pree-key] / ˈpriˈkeɪ /

Or pre-k

noun

1. a school or class for three- or four-year-old children, before kindergarten.

   state-funded pre-K's.

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Etymology

Origin of pre-K

First recorded in 1965–70; pre- ( def. ) + K ³ ( def. ) (in the sense “kindergarten”)

Example Sentences

The two appeared together at a pre-K site in the Bronx, where they read to children and highlighted the importance of early childhood education.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

So, the billionaire set out to create his own pre-K to 12th grade campus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

In the Rolling Hills-Palos Verdes area, for example, TK enrollment climbed by 152 children, but the area lost four pre-K centers that could serve 316 children.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

Seattle’s preschool program was first approved by voters in 2014, making the city one of the first to provide mostly free pre-K programming to children aged 3 or 4.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 19, 2024

I was happier when I returned to the pre-K classroom with the fenced play yard and tubular slide.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Related Words

• kindergarten
• nursery school