Neolithic

American  

[nee-uh-lith-ik] / ˌni əˈlɪθ ɪk /

adjective

1. (sometimes lowercase) of, relating to, or characteristic of the last phase of the Stone Age, marked by the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and the manufacture of pottery and textiles: commonly thought to have begun c9000–8000 b.c. in the Middle East.

2. (usually lowercase) belonging to or remaining from an earlier era; outdated; passé.

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Neolithic British  

/ ˌniːəʊˈlɪθɪk /

noun

1. the cultural period that lasted in SW Asia from about 9000 to 6000 _bc and in Europe from about 4000 to 2400 _bc and was characterized by primitive crop growing and stock rearing and the use of polished stone and flint tools and weapons

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adjective

1. relating to this period

Neolithic Scientific  

/ nē′ə-lĭth′ĭk /

1. The period of human culture that began around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the beginning of farming, the domestication of animals, the development of crafts such as pottery and weaving, and the making of polished stone tools. The Neolithic Period is generally considered to end for any particular region with the introduction of metalworking, writing, or other developments of urban civilization.

2. Also called New Stone Age

3. Compare Mesolithic Paleolithic

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Other Word Forms

• preneolithic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of Neolithic

First recorded in 1860–65; neo- + -lithic

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Compare meaning

How does neolithic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Paleolithic vs. Neolithic

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Explanation

In archaeology, anything that dates from the later part of Stone Age, from around 8,000–3,000 BCE, is described as neolithic. That strange stone you found in your yard might be part of a neolithic axe — or it could just be an ordinary rock. When archaeologists use this term, they tend to capitalize it. It's also known as the "New Stone Age," and that's exactly what neolithic means — neo, "new," and -lith, "stone." The Neolithic period occurred about 12,000 years ago, when people began to farm and used polished stone tools, and it was followed by the Bronze Age. If you want to scornfully refer to something as outdated or passé, you can also call it neolithic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Neolithic

At first, “China Institute Gallery at 60, 1966-2026: Selections From Three Millennia of Chinese Art” appears to be a straightforward survey in just under 90 objects, covering Neolithic carved jades through contemporary ink paintings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

The Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük, in present-day Turkey, was one of the world’s first proto-cities and thrived for more than a millennium, from roughly 7500 to 6000 B.C.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

If the proposed route is correct, moving the Altar Stone to Stonehenge would have demanded significant cooperation among Neolithic communities.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

The Neolithic burial mound Arthur's Stone is on the hill above the village.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

After the Neolithic Revolution the rate of change slowed almost to a crawl.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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