prewar

adjective

pre·​war ˌprē-ˈwȯr 

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

That’s not a criticism, because the streets of prewar Jewish Eastern Europe also jostled and overflowed; Grade’s prose mimetically reproduces the way Jews thronged in their tight quarters. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025

Neither German state was required to sign any peace treaties, and the superpowers ensured that neither would be responsible for prewar German debts. —G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2025

Photo: Sotheby’s International Realty This one-bedroom apartment on a high floor of prewar co-op complex Tudor City has East River views from both the living room and the bedroom. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 11 Mar. 2025

The three-year war has devastated Ukraine's power grid, leaving only a third of its prewar energy production capacity intact. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prewar

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

Kids Definition

prewar

adjective

pre·​war

ˈprē-ˈwȯ(ə)r

: occurring or existing before a war