preschool
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a school for children between the ages of about three and five.
n.an educational establishment for children too young for compulsory primary education, typically serving the three-to-five age range.
Simple“The children learn to share and play together at preschool.”
In context“Enrolling the twins in a local preschool helped them develop the social skills necessary for a smooth transition to primary school next year.”
UsageOften used without an article in phrases like 'at preschool' or 'go to preschool'.
Teacher's tipIn the US, 'preschool' usually precedes 'kindergarten', whereas in other regions, 'preschool' may include the kindergarten year.
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
adj.describing the years of a child's life before they start primary school.
adj.relating to the period in a child's life between infancy and the start of formal primary education.
Simple“Many preschool children enjoy listening to stories and drawing pictures.”
In context“The study focused on the cognitive development of preschool children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.”
UsageAttributive use only; it always appears before the noun it describes.
Synonymspre primary - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to go to preschool or to provide that kind of education for a child.
v.to educate a child in a nursery school setting or to attend such an institution.
Simple“They decided to preschool their daughter at a Montessori centre.”
In context“The government is looking for ways to ensure that every child is preschooling by the age of four.”
UsageCan be used transitively with the child as the object or intransitively.
From pre- + school.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.