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: regarded as being outdated or outmoded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
On either side of the cool, free-flowing river, hollows flanking the water conceal outtakes from another time—from prehistoric sites dating back thousands of years to untamed wilderness and waterfalls left wholly untouched.
—
Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Much of this prehistoric area is buried underwater today, but not all of it.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
The discovery in Ecuador of multiple pieces of insect-bearing amber—112 millions of years old—has opened a window to the secrets of a prehistoric forest.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
But Nick Tobler's primary focus is on a prehistoric species called sturgeon.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
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.
Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
Much of this prehistoric area is buried underwater today, but not all of it.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
The discovery in Ecuador of multiple pieces of insect-bearing amber—112 millions of years old—has opened a window to the secrets of a prehistoric forest.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
But Nick Tobler's primary focus is on a prehistoric species called sturgeon.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Sep. 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 21 Sep. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share