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: regarded as being outdated or outmoded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

prehistorically

ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-i-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈstär-

adverb

Synonyms

• antiquated
• archaic
• dated
• démodé
• demoded
• fossilized
• kaput
• kaputt
• medieval
• mediaeval
• moribund
• mossy
• moth-eaten
• neolithic
• Noachian
• obsolete
• out-of-date
• outdated
• outmoded
• outworn
• passé
• rusty
• Stone Age
• superannuated

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

Uncle Jack Cassidy lives on the island which is filled with new dinosaur species, giant insects and prehistoric amphibians. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024

Godzilla: Dressing up as a prehistoric dinosaurian monster never gets old. —Isabella Milano, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024

As wind and water erode the cliff face, prehistoric fossils emerge. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024

Ongoing research is aiming to understand what role these kinds of wooden tools played in prehistoric societies and how exactly they were used. —Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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

prehistorically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb