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: regarded as being outdated or outmoded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
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
Since gold is nearly indestructible and has been recycled many times, much of the gold used today dates from prehistoric ages.
—
David Szondy
june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2025
More fossils will be needed to know if the prehistoric waterwheels grew snap traps to enclose small aquatic invertebrates, like its modern counterparts, but the lineage was already present during a time when the world was warmer and wetter, and mammals were just beginning to get big.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
Our team is working to locate and recover samples of geological formations containing flints similar to those found in prehistoric sites.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025
The film uses a fable-like framing story about two prehistoric cave dwellers who may very well be the first married couple.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
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show current usage.
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David Szondy
june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2025
More fossils will be needed to know if the prehistoric waterwheels grew snap traps to enclose small aquatic invertebrates, like its modern counterparts, but the lineage was already present during a time when the world was warmer and wetter, and mammals were just beginning to get big.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
Our team is working to locate and recover samples of geological formations containing flints similar to those found in prehistoric sites.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025
The film uses a fable-like framing story about two prehistoric cave dwellers who may very well be the first married couple.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Cite this Entry
“Prehistoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prehistoric. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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