preseason

American  

[pree-see-zuhn] / ˈpriˌsi zən /

noun

1. a period before the season, especially the period of time in organized sports when athletes train and practice for the regular season: Deer hunters set aside time in the preseason to repair and maintain their stands, set trail cameras, and clear branches or brush from shooting lanes.

   As a professional athlete, I just try not to get injured in the preseason.

   Deer hunters set aside time in the preseason to repair and maintain their stands, set trail cameras, and clear branches or brush from shooting lanes.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring in the preseason: The resort offers discounted preseason ski passes in November.

   Some of the coaching staff was replaced after an embarrassing preseason loss to the weakest team in the league.

   The resort offers discounted preseason ski passes in November.

verb (used with object)

1. to season (food) with condiments, spices, herbs, or the like before it is packaged or cooked.

   Preseason the roast with a teaspoon of salt per pound of meat several hours before grilling it.

preseason British  

/ ˈpriːˌsiːzən /

noun

1. 1. the period immediately before the official season for a particular sport begins

   2. ( as modifier )

      a series of preseason friendly matches

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Etymology

Origin of preseason

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; pre- ( def. ) + season ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preseason

Sexton, who missed all five preseason games, was a full participant in practice Monday and did not suffer a setback, Redick said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Grimes started the first four games of the preseason, averaging 12 points and 2.6 assists while 51.3% shooting in 25.1 minutes per game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Knecht, who averaged 4.2 points per game and 10.2 minutes per game last season, played just 14 combined minutes in the last two preseason games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The Rams entered this season as one of the strongest preseason Super Bowl favorites in years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

It turned out to be a pretty sloppy game, considering that the Tangerine Times had picked both the Lake Windsor Seagulls and the Cypress Bay Cardinals as “Teams to Watch” in its preseason poll.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

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