antebellum
adjective
an·te·bel·lum
ˌan-ti-ˈbe-ləm 
: existing before a war
especially
: existing before the American Civil War
antebellum houses
the antebellum South
Examples of antebellum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
She was obliged, as an enslaved woman in the antebellum South, to labor in his household for him, his wife and his children.
—
Sara Georgini, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Each depicts womanhood as representative of nationalistic ideals: America for an antebellum audience not yet open to slavery’s end; Lady Interbellum for a contemporary audience in another hostile moment.
—Shantay Robinson, ARTnews.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Far too many people overlook this distinction and end up like the German Christians and the antebellum slave owners, trying to find a heavenly origin for things that have nothing to do with the character of their God.
—B.g. White, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
These roots help connect inmate firefighting in 2025 with enslaved firefighting in the antebellum South.
—Justin Hawkins / Made By History, TIME, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antebellum
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Sara Georgini, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025
Each depicts womanhood as representative of nationalistic ideals: America for an antebellum audience not yet open to slavery’s end; Lady Interbellum for a contemporary audience in another hostile moment.
—Shantay Robinson, ARTnews.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Far too many people overlook this distinction and end up like the German Christians and the antebellum slave owners, trying to find a heavenly origin for things that have nothing to do with the character of their God.
—B.g. White, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
These roots help connect inmate firefighting in 2025 with enslaved firefighting in the antebellum South.
—Justin Hawkins / Made By History, TIME, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for antebellum
Cite this Entry
“Antebellum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antebellum. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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antebellum
adjective
an·te·bel·lum
ˌant-i-ˈbel-əm
: existing before a war
especially
: existing before the American Civil War
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