pre-Columbian

[ pree-kuh-luhm-bee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the Americas before the arrival of Columbus:

   pre-Columbian art; pre-Columbian Indians.

pre-Columbian

adjective

1. of or relating to the Americas before they were discovered by Columbus

Word History and Origins

Origin of pre-Columbian¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Ancient Aztec communities from the pre-Columbian period of Mesoamerica had a rich mythological codex that was also part of their ritual and sacrificial ceremonies.

From Science Daily

A wooden bookcase piled with works of pre-Columbian history, archaeology and artist catalogs sags in the middle.

From Los Angeles Times

Beginning in the 1500s, he said, “Spanish missionaries became deeply familiar with pre-Columbian traditions in an effort to combat them and convert local populations,” and practices such as amate production were discouraged or even banned.

From New York Times

In the contemporary, helter-skelter sweep of Mexico City, there is one place — in the southern borough of Xochimilco — where a vision of a watery, pre-Columbian capital may still be imagined.

From Los Angeles Times

Mexican mysticism, inflected by pre-Columbian and Catholic cultures, informs much of the work.

From Los Angeles Times