preadamite

1 of 2

noun

pre·​adamite
prē+
1
: an inhabitant of the earth before Adam
2
: one who holds that men existed before Adam
specifically : a follower of the doctrine of Isaac La Peyrère that only the Jews are descendants of Adam and that the Gentiles descend from men who lived before Adam

preadamite

2 of 2

adjective

pre·​adamite
(ˈ)prē+
variants or less commonly preadamic
¦prē+
or preadamitical
(¦)prē¦adə¦mitə̇kəl
: existing before Adam : of a time prior to that of Adam

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin praeadamita, from Latin prae- pre- + Adam (the first man in the Bible) + Latin -ita -ite

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Cite this Entry

“Preadamite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preadamite. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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