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: regarded as being outdated or outmoded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
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
Permafrost—stable for millennia—is now thawing at an accelerating pace, breaking open microbial vaults from a prehistoric world.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
The arrowhead, found in a pit alongside other prehistoric features, was meticulously carved from flint using a technique called knapping.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
Read Next: Alabama Fossil Hunter Finds 34-Million-Year-Old Whale Skull on Her Family Farm
After unearthing the prehistoric fossil, the team spent two days covering it in protective plaster and building a frame to transport it back to the Sul Ros campus in Alpine.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 12 Mar. 2025
Decades after its initial discovery, the skeleton of a prehistoric child who possessed both human and Neanderthal attributes has now been directly dated.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Scott Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
The arrowhead, found in a pit alongside other prehistoric features, was meticulously carved from flint using a technique called knapping.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
Read Next: Alabama Fossil Hunter Finds 34-Million-Year-Old Whale Skull on Her Family Farm
After unearthing the prehistoric fossil, the team spent two days covering it in protective plaster and building a frame to transport it back to the Sul Ros campus in Alpine.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 12 Mar. 2025
Decades after its initial discovery, the skeleton of a prehistoric child who possessed both human and Neanderthal attributes has now been directly dated.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Cite this Entry
“Prehistoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prehistoric. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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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