Neanderthal

[nee-an-der-thawl, -tawl, -tahl; ney-ahn-der-tahl]

adjective

of or relating to Neanderthal man.
(often lowercase) Informal. primitive, unenlightened, or reactionary; culturally or intellectually backward.

noun

Neanderthal man.
(often lowercase) Informal.
1. an unenlightened or ignorant person; barbarian.
2. a reactionary; a person with very old-fashioned ideas.

Also Ne·an·der·tal

[nee-an-der-tawl, -tahl; ney-ahn-der-tahl] /niˈæn dərˌtɔl, -ˌtɑl; neɪˈɑn dərˌtɑl/ (for defs 1, 3).

Origin of Neanderthal

First recorded in 1860–65; after Neanderthal, valley in Germany, near Düsseldorf, where evidence of Neanderthal man was first found

Related formsNe·an·der·thal·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for neanderthal

Contemporary Examples

Early on, the sexual protagonist complains that her Molson-drinking husband is pretty much an incompetent Neanderthal.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits
Emily Shire
January 7, 2015
If you think of yourself as more than a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, you can stand up and be respectful.
Hey, Creeps, ‘Compliments’ Are Harassment, Too
Tauriq Moosa
November 5, 2014
“He was no Neanderthal,” says former U.S. senator Richard Bryan.
The Cowboy Sheriff of Las Vegas Rides Into ‘Mob Museum’
John L. Smith
June 8, 2014
Scientists extract complete Neanderthal genome from fossil—97 percent match to A&E programming.
Up to a Point: 2013 in Review and Predictions for 2014
P. J. O’Rourke
January 1, 2014
There have been many posts lately about countries with maternity/paternity leave, it's depressing how Neanderthal America seems.
Why I Choose to Be Child-Free: Readers Share Their Stories
Harry Siegel
February 27, 2013

Historical Examples

In truth, the Neanderthal cranium has most extraordinary characters.
On Some Fossil Remains of Man
Thomas H. Huxley
It seemed but a step to the Neanderthal skull and our Troglodyte forbears.
A Labrador Doctor
Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
In stature, no important divergence from the Neanderthal type can be noted.
Prehistoric Man
W. L. H. Duckworth
Herein they are strongly contrasted with skeletons of the Neanderthal group.
Prehistoric Man
W. L. H. Duckworth
Of these four, the Neanderthal type is regarded as the most ancient.
Prehistoric Man
W. L. H. Duckworth

British Dictionary definitions for neanderthal

Neanderthal

adjective

relating to or characteristic of Neanderthal man
primitive; uncivilized
informal ultraconservative; reactionary

noun

a person showing any such characteristics

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for neanderthal

Neanderthal

adj.

1861, in reference to a type of extinct hominid, from German Neanderthal "Neander Valley," name of a gorge near Düsseldorf where humanoid fossils were identified in 1856. The place name is from the Graecized form of Joachim Neumann (literally "new man," Greek *neo-ander), 1650-1680, German pastor, poet and hymn-writer, who made this a favorite spot in the 1670s. Adopting a classical form of one's surname was a common practice among educated Germans in this era. As a noun, by 1915; as a type f a big, brutish, stupid person from 1926.

neanderthal in Science

Neanderthal

[nē-ăn′dər-thôl′, -tôl′]

An extinct variety of human that lived throughout Europe and in parts of western Asia and northern Africa during the late Pleistocene Epoch, until about 30,000 years ago. Neanderthals had a stocky build and large skulls with thick eyebrow ridges and big teeth. They usually lived in caves, made flaked stone tools, and were the earliest humans known to bury their dead. Neanderthals were either a subspecies of modern humans (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) or a separate, closely related species (Homo neanderthalensis). They coexisted with early modern humans (Cro-Magnons) for several thousand years before becoming extinct, but are not generally believed to have interbred with them. See also Mousterian.

neanderthal in Culture

Neanderthal

[(nee-an-duhr-thawl, nee-an-duhr-tawl)]

The ancient and now extinct relatives of modern humans. Neanderthals lived in Europe about 150,000 years ago and were the earliest form of the human species, Homo sapiens.

Note

The term Neanderthal is sometimes used to refer to a person who is thought to have primitive or unenlightened ideas: “I tried talking politics to Joe, but he's a real Neanderthal.”

Neanderthal

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Examples from the Web for neanderthal

Contemporary Examples

Early on, the sexual protagonist complains that her Molson-drinking husband is pretty much an incompetent Neanderthal.

If you think of yourself as more than a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, you can stand up and be respectful.

“He was no Neanderthal,” says former U.S. senator Richard Bryan.

Scientists extract complete Neanderthal genome from fossil—97 percent match to A&E programming.

There have been many posts lately about countries with maternity/paternity leave, it's depressing how Neanderthal America seems.

Historical Examples

In truth, the Neanderthal cranium has most extraordinary characters.

It seemed but a step to the Neanderthal skull and our Troglodyte forbears.

In stature, no important divergence from the Neanderthal type can be noted.

Herein they are strongly contrasted with skeletons of the Neanderthal group.

Of these four, the Neanderthal type is regarded as the most ancient.

Neanderthal

Word Origin and History for neanderthal

Neanderthal

adj.

Neanderthal

Neanderthal

Note

Origin of Neanderthal