preschool

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül How to pronounce preschool (audio)
(ˌ)prē-ˈskül
: of, relating to, or constituting the period in a child's life that ordinarily precedes attendance at elementary school

preschool

2 of 2

noun

pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül How to pronounce preschool (audio)
: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school

Examples of preschool in a Sentence

Noun children excited about starting preschool
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The church has also lost about 120 volunteers working with children ages preschool through fifth grade, members were told during last week’s meeting. Frank E. Lockwood, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 The preschool teacher sued San Diego County in 2015. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 Before working as a creator for Nick Jr, Burgess worked as an executive in the preschool division, per a 2006 interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Visually, Stéphanie Clement seems to be inspired by the comforting drawings of preschool picture books, suggesting amid the golden memories — a redheaded girl recalls visits to her grandparents’ house in the country — that a threat could be lurking just off-screen. Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Why is preschool important? Supporters of the program tout the array of research showing how preschool can contribute to reducing poverty. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024 As for the child who is 4 or younger, no other details were immediately available, including the child’s vaccination status and if the child attends a preschool or daycare center. Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 The centers will provide infant, toddler and preschool services through Child Care Associates, one of the largest child development programs in North Texas. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2024 Two days later, on Dr. Hendrie’s advice, the governor of Pennsylvania ordered the evacuation of pregnant women and preschool children within five miles of the area. Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2024
Noun
The nonprofit will not provide pre-K services, but rather build upon the city's existing infrastructure of preschools, child care centers and family child care homes. Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2024 Another restraining order Two months later, according to court filings, Vena showed up outside A.’s preschool demanding to see A. — which school officials knew was not allowed. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 The post stated Skye loves the color pink, Minnie Mouse, and Paw Patrol and is looking forward to starting preschool. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024 Providing early literacy programs for students in preschool to third grade. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2024 In 2023, the program paid for 1,356 children from low-income households to attend preschool. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024 Families can learn more about camps, classes and preschool, and youth swim lesson assessments will be available for those looking to register their children for swim lessons this summer. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Jocelyn Sizemore, Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies, preschool. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 Blackwell has mastered the art of the shelter dog post as a volunteer predominantly at Lancaster Animal Care Center, which looks a bit like a preschool with its colorful murals of flowers and pets. Michelle Madden, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preschool.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preschool was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near preschool

Cite this Entry

“Preschool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preschool. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

preschool

1 of 2 adjective
pre·​school ˈprē-ˌskül How to pronounce preschool (audio)
: of, relating to, or being the period in a child's life to the age of five or six that ordinarily precedes attendance at school

preschool

2 of 2 noun
: a school for children usually younger than those attending elementary school or kindergarten : nursery school

More from Merriam-Webster on preschool

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!