'preselect' originates from Latin-derived prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae') meaning 'before' combined with 'select' (from Latin 'selectus', past participle of 'seligere'/'selegere').

'select' came into English via Old French/Latin (Latin 'selectus' from 'seligere'/'selegere', from Proto-Indo-European root related to 'leg-' meaning 'to gather/choose'). The compound 'preselect' is a Modern English formation using the prefix 'pre-' + 'select', used to indicate choosing beforehand; 'preselected' is the past/past-participle/adjectival form.

Initially it literally meant 'to choose before' and this basic meaning ('chosen in advance') has been preserved in modern usage.