prewar

adjective

pre·​war ˌprē-ˈwȯr How to pronounce prewar (audio)
variants or pre-war
: occurring or existing before a war and especially before World War II
prewar conditions
the prewar era/period/years
the country's prewar population
prewar levels of industrial production
an apartment in a prewar building

Examples of prewar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
World & Nation Israel will close its Ireland embassy over Gaza tensions as Palestinian death toll nears 45,000 Dec. 15, 2024 The war is by far the deadliest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas, with the death toll amounting to roughly 2% of Gaza’s prewar population of about 2.3 million. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024 Nearly half a million people have died in the war, and half the prewar population of 23 million people has been displaced. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Dec. 2024 The prices of what little food can be found are skyrocketing: One bag of 18 pita loaves sells for $12.06, more than 10 times its prewar price. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Nov. 2024 Photo: Brown Harris Stevens Another co-op with a working fireplace, this prewar unit has preserved a lot of nice details, such as the herringbone floors and beamed ceilings. Clio Chang, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prewar 

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prewar was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near prewar

Cite this Entry

“Prewar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prewar. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

prewar

adjective
pre·​war
ˈprē-ˈwȯ(ə)r
: occurring or existing before a war

More from Merriam-Webster on prewar

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!