prerelease

American

[pree-ri-lees] / ˌpri rɪˈlis /

noun

something released beforehand, as a movie shown before its scheduled premiere.

adjective

of or relating to a period prior to an official release.

prerelease photos of a new car; convicts housed in a prerelease center.

Etymology

Origin of prerelease

First recorded in 1925–30; pre- + release

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.

This week “Wicked: For Good” will be joined in theaters by Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which prerelease polling indicates will also be a blockbuster.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

A prerelease trailer portends a dark duality rife with symbolism as an all-white-clad bride-like version of Taemin is replaced by a black hooded figure in front of cemetery gates.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2024

Instead, the book prerelease scandal catching more attention over the past few days has been Noem’s anecdote about meeting with the North Korean dictator.

From Slate • May 6, 2024

Ticket sales for “Civil War” exceeded the prerelease expectations of some box office analysts by roughly 30 percent.

From New York Times • Apr. 14, 2024

Alexandria’s jail continues to provide prerelease notifications to ICE, according to Sandoval-Moshenberg.

From Washington Post • Dec. 22, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023