preschool
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of preschool
Explanation
A preschool is a school for kids too young for kindergarten. In preschool, your teacher will still help you tie your shoes and stick your straw into your juice box. You can use the word preschool for the actual building where three year olds attend school, or for the program there. It's also an adjective for talking about preschool teachers, preschool students, or preschool funding in your town. Preschool has been used since the late 1800s, and it's also commonly called pre-K or nursery school.
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.
All families, regardless of income, that live or work in school district boundaries where at least 80% of children qualify for free or reduced lunch will automatically be eligible to enroll in state preschool.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
Up to 4% of preschool children and 2.4% of UK adults live with food allergies, according to charity Anaphylaxis UK.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
The center was tasked with analyzing Moonbug’s content and crafting the learning principles to guide the studio’s future preschool programming, which also includes the “Blippi” and “Little Angel” franchises.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Assistance that helps families get through a child’s preschool years can be particularly invaluable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
He still has stuff taped up that I did in preschool.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
