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: regarded as being outdated or outmoded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
Synonyms
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
See all Example Sentences for prehistoric 
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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
See all Example Sentences for prehistoric
Dictionary Entries Near prehistoric
Cite this Entry
“Prehistoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prehistoric. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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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