prehistoric

[ pree-hi-stawr-ik, -stor-, pree-i- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the time or a period prior to recorded history ( def ):

   The dinosaur is a prehistoric beast.

2. Slang. outdated; passé:

   My mom has these prehistoric ideas about proper dress.

prehistoric

/ ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to man's development before the appearance of the written word

Derived Forms

• ˌprehisˈtorically, adverb

Other Words From

• prehis·tori·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prehistoric¹

First recorded in 1850–55; pre- + historic

Example Sentences

Though the film takes place at disparate points in time, going all the way back to the prehistoric era, it doesn’t look a whole lot different to today.

From Salon

Prehistoric and historic archaeological sites?

From Los Angeles Times

That band, which Monash University planetary scientist Andrew Tomkins and colleagues are arguing existed in a new paper, may have been the result of an asteroid’s passing just close enough to our prehistoric planet to break up into innumerable pieces.

From Slate

Or when we notice that the extinct ichthyosaurs, prehistoric fish, have a very similar body outline, down to the bottlenose shape and tiny teeth, as the modern dolphin — which is not a fish at all, but a mammal.

From Salon

California created an orchard for the world in large part by tapping into prehistoric aquifers that underlay the Central Valley.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ancient
• archaic
• primeval
• primitive
• primordial