premodern

adjective

pre·​mod·​ern ˌprē-ˈmä-dərn How to pronounce premodern (audio)
 nonstandard  -ˈmä-d(ə-)rən
variants or pre-modern
1
: of, relating to, originating in, or being an era before a modern one
premodern societies/beliefs
the pre-modern world
in premodern times
… still living in huts and using pre-modern agricultural methods 150 years after the invention of the steam engine.Jo Ann Skousen
2
or pre-Modern : of, relating to, characterized by, or being any of the artistic and literary practices and philosophies that preceded those of modernism see modernism sense 3
pre-Modern architecture
a pre-Modern artist/writer
… following pre-modern conventions of pictorial composition, the artist combines several distinct vignettes within a single picture frame …Benjamin Schmidt

Examples of premodern 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.
For historians interested in the lives of premodern women in particular, the problem intensifies. Michelle Weber, Longreads, 15 Nov. 2024 Embedded in the world of the living, premodern ghosts were almost extended kin. Tithi Bhattacharya / Made By History, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024 Just weeks after announcing a plan (or at least the preparative study of a plan) to reconstruct Park Avenue in its premodern, superior form, the city has just revealed a major makeover for Fifth. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2024 His research on medieval Europe has included analysis of the Great Famine, the Crusades, the treatment of Jewish populations, the contributions of women to premodern economies, and the legal systems of medieval monarchies. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for premodern 

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of premodern was in 1901

Dictionary Entries Near premodern

Cite this Entry

“Premodern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/premodern. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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