prehistoric

adjective

pre·​his·​tor·​ic ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-ik 

-ˈstär-

variants or less commonly prehistorical

ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-i-kəl 

-ˈstär-

1

: of, relating to, or existing in times antedating written history

2

: of or relating to a language in a period of its development from which contemporary records of its sounds and forms have not been preserved

3

: regarded as being outdated or outmoded

prehistoric attitudes

prehistorically

ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-i-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈstär-

adverb

Synonyms

• antiquated
• archaic
• dated
• démodé
• demoded
• fossilized
• kaput
• kaputt
• medieval
• mediaeval
• moribund
• mossy
• moth-eaten
• neolithic
• Noachian
• obsolete
• out-of-date
• outdated
• outmoded
• outworn
• passé
• rusty
• Stone Age
• superannuated

Examples of prehistoric in a Sentence

His attitudes about women are downright prehistoric.

prehistoric notions about mental illness that have no place in today's world

Recent Examples on the Web

These are prehistoric mammal relatives that lived during the Permian period (around 299-252 million years ago) of Earth's history. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

Today, the caverns hold evidence of both the Maya and the people who inhabited the region before them, as well as the fossils of prehistoric megafauna. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Dec. 2024

Film director Doug Liman’s 30 Ninjas, Meta, and Dark Slope have teamed up to launch Dino Hab, a Mixed Reality experience that lets players raise dinosaurs and restore prehistoric habitats in immersive 3D worlds. —Charlie Fink, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Though the prehistoric set by Jon Bausor looks expensive—a movable Stonehenge circles the actors—the show exudes a certain student-theatre atmosphere, in that the casting disregards age altogether. —Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prehistoric

adjective

pre·​his·​tor·​ic ˌprē-(h)is-ˈtȯr-ik 

-ˈtär-

: of, relating to, or existing in times before written history

prehistoric animals

prehistorically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb