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 outdated; passé: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

On Thursday, British authorities charged a pair of climate change activists for vandalizing Stonehenge, a prehistoric megalithic structure on a chalk plateau known as the Salisbury Plain.

From Salon

For many years, paleontologists have debated what these prehistoric big cats would have looked like based on their fossilized bones.

From Science Magazine

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

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

From Los Angeles Times

As packs of prehistoric dimensions prepare for a set-piece, often only the referee offers a sense of human scale.

From BBC

Related Words

• ancient
• archaic
• primeval
• primitive
• primordial