precolonial

adjective

pre·​co·​lo·​nial ˌprē-kə-ˈlō-nē-əl How to pronounce precolonial (audio)
-nyəl
variants or pre-colonial
: existing or occurring before an area undergoes colonization
precolonial America
precolonial cultures

Examples of precolonial 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.
Here, in the immensity of the desert, in a precolonial past, Nube, Ari, Valen and Lara walk dragging a wagon, to execute a revenge, according to a Murillo description. John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Aug. 2024 Women Leaders in Africa: The Case of the Igbo In the precolonial Igbo states of West Africa, power was often wielded by male chiefs or elders, but women had their own forms of authority as well. JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024 Adam Gibson Few precolonial structures remain in New Zealand today. Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2023 The Greater Antilles and the Yucatán Peninsula form one of the most cavernous regions in the world, and many of these grottos contain precolonial inscriptions. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for precolonial 

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of precolonial was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near precolonial

Cite this Entry

“Precolonial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precolonial. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!