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preset

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Etymology and origin of the English word preset

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1926 Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science More words from the 20th century
Ultimate origins
English pre-Proto-Germanic *sattjan
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Old English settan
English set
English preset
From the same root
English mindset ← set
English offset ← set
English onset ← set
English outset ← set
English reset ← set
English setback ← set
English setter ← set
English subset ← set
English upset ← set

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpɹiːsɛt/, /pɹiːˈsɛt/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English pre- + set,[2][3][4][5] the adjective being formed on the adjective and the verb on the verb.[2] The noun is a conversion of the adjective.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Set or adjusted in advance: the adjective and the verb are both first recorded in 1926, in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science;[2] Merriam-Webster Unabridged also dates the verb to 1926.[3] Etymonline gives 1934 for the adjective and 1946 for the verb,[4] and Dictionary.com 1930–35.[5]

Semantic evolution

The word was soon used especially of devices adjusted before use or operation.[2] The noun, a control set beforehand by the maker or the user, is recorded from 1941,[2][3] and is used especially of electronic musical instruments and audio equipment,[2] and of radio stations stored in a receiver.[3] Collins also records it in electronics for a secondary control used to set initial conditions.[6]

Timeline

  • 1926 – adjective and verb, set or adjusted in advance.[2][3] Etymonline dates the adjective to 1934 and the verb to 1946.[4]
  • 1941 – noun, a control adjusted beforehand; a stored setting.[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To set or adjust beforehand, especially a device such as a timer: He preset the oven to switch on at six.[3][6][2]

Adjective

  1. Set, adjusted or decided in advance.[2][4]

Noun

  1. A setting stored in a device, such as a radio station programmed into a receiver.[3][2]
  2. (electronics) A control, less accessible than the main controls, used to set initial conditions.[6]

Word family

  • presettable

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Preset.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/preset. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·